Kingdom Hearts: The Third Epic
by LordCavendish
Summary: It had been two years since Riku and Sora had returned to Destiny Island and peace had been restored. However, a new threat arises as a great evil makes itself known. A power that shames both the Heartless and the Organization.
1. Default Chapter

The Coming of the Second Evil

Two years had passed since the door to the light had been opened. Two years since the party had departed for their own worlds, which they called home. Now the friends who had been long since separated were now once again reunited and were living happily on their island paradise. Sora, wielder of the keyblade had fulfilled his promise as well as his mission. He made sure that both Riku and Kairi made it back home safely. The three friends had longed for each other's company during their adventures. And now, with two years passing since the fall of the Heartless, they were once again living peacefully upon the sands of Destiny Island. Sora was never happier than to have his friends with him once again. Every so often, the circle of friends would gather at the secret spot, where the mysterious door still stands, and would tell their stories about the great adventure in other worlds. Around a roaring campfire, the three would tell the others of their adventures. At times, there was uncontrollable laughter and sometimes a deep sorrow that would fill their eyes with tears. Sora, though as happy as he was to be amongst friends and home, he still had a longing to go on adventures in other worlds, and perhaps reunited with those other companions who had remained faithful to him until the end.

One night, when the moon was full, Sora strolled upon the beach. The sound of the waves crashing upon the shore was so tranquil and quiet. He sat down on the white sand, which glistened in the moonlight and threw his head back. He closed his eyes and pictured the faces of the friends he had met when on his journey. Goofy and Donald, two of the wildest characters he could ever meet, were the most loyal to him.

"Let us always remember each other." he remembered Goofy saying in that same humorous way. "No matter how far we are from each other, it is the friendship we forge that will last forever."

It was then that Kairi came walking on the beach. She saw Sora sitting there in a daze. She walked up to him and smiled. Sora looked up and saw her standing there in the moonlight.

"Hey, Kairi." he uttered.

"Hey, Sora." she replied as she sat down next to him. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about the past." he glanced at the beach. "This is where it all started. Our adventure four years ago. And two years since the day Riku and I returned."

"Yeah." Kairi edged herself closer to Sora. "Do you remember everything?"

"I do. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It all started when Riku, you and I were building a raft, so we could see what was out there."-

"I remember that too. We had so much fun. Excited to see other worlds. But during the events on that fateful night, four years ago, our fantasies turned out to be quite different."-

Sora glanced at her. "It was scary at first. But when I met Goofy and Donald, I realized that things may turn out O.K. The same thought went through my head, when our worlds were separated again. Even though I knew you were safe, I still needed to find Riku. Even then, I realized that I still had friends with me and that I'd be alright."-

Kairi snuggled on Sora's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his arm.

"I was so worried about you too." she uttered. "I didn't think that you were going to make it back. But now you're here and that's all that matters now." Sora stood up and wiped the sand from off his clothing. Kairi stood and gazed at him for a long while. The moonlight reflected off his blue eyes which sucked Kairi's attention in like a twister. All she could do was gaze into his eyes, since being so beautiful when they sparkled in the moonlight.

"It's getting late." said Sora. "It's best that you get along home before your parents worry about you." Kairi glanced at him a final time.

"Alright." she said. "I'll see you tomorrow." With a final smile, she turned away and headed home, leaving Sora standing on the beach. He turned to head towards his own place. He strolled very slowly, enjoying the evening. The stars glistened in a great multitude and Sora knew that on each star there was a friend wishing the same as he.

"Sometimes, I wish that I could go back to see my other friends again. To see how they're doing. Goofy, Donald, and King Mickey." he thought to himself. It was then that Sora sensed a presence behind him, lurking in the shadows. Suddenly a voice whispered on the gentle night breeze.

"Sora." it called. Sora turned, but there was nobody there.

"Who's there?" he asked, but there was no answer. Only silence. Sora turned to continue on his way home. But once again, he heard that same eerie voice calling him.

"Sora." it called. Sora turned again.

"Alright, I'm getting a little upset now!" cried Sora. "Who is it! Riku! Kairi! Tidus! Wakka! Selphie!" Still there was no answer. Sora turned and quickened his pace towards the torch-illuminated walkway. Then, a third time he heard the wind call out his name. Even louder than before.

"Sora!" it said. Sora turned again, but this time he did see something. From the shadows he saw what looked like a red glowing eye looking straight at him. Sora walked a few feet towards the figure in the shadows.

"Who are you!" he shouted. "Show you face!" But suddenly, a painful sensation, like that of a hand, gripped his throat as if someone was choking him. Sora gagged as he was suddenly lifted into the air by an invisible force. His feet dangled in the air as he rose higher above the ground.

"Heed my warning, Boy!" said the figure. "Do not interfere with our plan! When the time comes and we make ourselves known, stay out of our affair, or you will perish!" Sora was suddenly released and fell upon the soft sand. He coughed and gasped a deep breath. He looked for whatever it was that held him by the throat, but there was nothing in sight. Sora, terrified at what he had encountered, ran home and never looked back a second time.

As the new day came, Sora awoke as usual, but this time there was something occupying his mind. What was it that he had encountered the previous night. He put on his shirt and shorts, tied on his shoes and walked outside. The sun was gleaming as usual and the inhabitants of Destiny Island were doing their familiar routine. Sora walked along the beach looking for his friends. It was on the beach that he encountered Riku, who was once again perfecting his skills as a swordsman. He now trained with a sharpened steel sword. He had it unsheathed and the blade lay gently on his shoulder. He had been training since early morning and was now taking his break. He had taken off his shirt, revealing his muscular bosom. A towel hung around his neck catching the sweat that dripped down his face. Riku saw Sora coming and turned to face him.

"Well, good morning." he chuckled.

"Hey Riku." replied Sora. "You've been awfully busy today haven't you."

"Just perfecting all my skills and keeping myself in top shape." He took the towel and wiped the sweat from his brow. He then threw it at Sora, but Sora managed to catch it before the wet rag hit his face. "Hey Sora! How about a quick spar!"

"Sure!" said Sora. Riku threw him a sheathed sword. Because of the increase in skill the two had acquired on their adventures, they were now training with real swords with sharpened edges. Sora took off his shirt, revealing his own muscular bosom, and the two fighters stood ready to attack each other.

Just then, Riku attacked with sudden speed, which almost took Sora by surprise. The two fought ferociously for five minutes. With sharpened swords, it could have been possible for the two to inflict serious damage if a mistake was ever made. But because Riku and Sora were so well trained in the art of sword fighting, they managed to brawl each other without spilling any blood. Within a period of five minutes, due to the adrenalin rush and the anxiety, the two were now drenched in sweat.

"What's wrong, Sora?" chuckled Riku. "Don't tell my you're giving up already!"

"No I'm not!" replied Sora. He crouched back in a pouncing position and lunged his sword at Riku, but Riku saw the attack well ahead of time and dodged the blade. He threw out his own blade, flipping it over to the dull side of the sword. Sora couldn't stop in time and the dull side of Riku's blade streaked across his throat. Sora fell to the ground, dropping the sword only a few feet away. Riku sheathed his blade and sat next to Sora who was still gasping for breath.

"It's a good thing that I flipped my blade over to the dull edge." said Riku. "Otherwise I would have cut your throat. Had this been a life and death situation, you would have been dead."

"I couldn't stop." Sora uttered. "What a waste of energy. Using a lunging attack like that."

"I know, but it was a good thing I saw it in the knick of time." Riku showed his right arm to Sora. A bruise had developed on his forearm. "The blade didn't touch me, but the air pressure caused by the speed of your thrust caused this bruise on my fore arm. Had the blade been any closer, you could have made a deep cut. If the blade actually touched, my forearm would have been completely severed from my elbow. You've certainly improved, Sora."

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Riku. I didn't..." Riku laughed.

"Don't sweat it. You're the first guy to ever wound me like that. You should be honored." He threw out his hand, wanting to help Sora up. "No hard feelings right?"

"Not at all!" Sora smiled and grasped his friend's hand, being allowed to stand on his feet again. He wiped the sweat from his brow. "From now on though, I think we should use blunt swords. In case something does happen."

"Alright then." chuckled Riku. "We'll train with real swords when we manage not to damage each other in future spars." Riku threw his sword on his shoulder and walked away.

"Riku!" cried Sora. "What about your sword!"

"Keep it, Sora. Just hold on to it for the time being!"-

Sora smiled and sheathed his sword. He then walked back home to clean himself up. The two warriors went their separate ways never knowing that Wakka and Tidus had witnessed the whole thing.

"They've really improved, yah!" asked Wakka.

"I've never seen two guys move that fast in battle before." Tidus replied. "I couldn't even see them at times. And using sharpened swords to spar?"

"Should we start training too, Tidus?"-

"No matter how hard we train, our skills could never improve as much as Sora and Riku's."-

"I guess we're outclassed then, yah?"-

"Way outclassed."-

That same day, Sora walked on the beach where he had encountered the figure in the dark the night before. His mind was filled with questions as he strolled on the beach. What was that thing who so violently assaulted him, grabbing him by the throat and daring to strangle him? What did it mean by interfering in its issues? The incident had left Sora spellbound and continuously wondering about his evening encounter. He sat on the beach again and listened to the roar of the waves and the blowing of the gentle sea breeze. He lay down on the white sand and closed his eyes. The relaxing sound of the beach was soothing and Sora soon fell into a deep sleep.

It was in his dreams that he began to visualize a terrible premonition. Of future events that would once again cast shadows upon his home. Sora saw the sands of his island home turn black. The light had gone out and darkness reigned throughout like a starless night. The wind was foul and rank, as if the smell of moldering bodies. Sora runs down the blackened beach to find his sword thrust into the ground. He picks it up, but in the sky he sees the faces of his friends he had met on his many journeys. They were crying in pain and their flesh rotted off of their bodies. Soon, the sky began raining down not water, but blood with a sting like acid. Sora ran to shelter himself with the rain burning his skin. He looked up to see his friends Riku and Kairi, crucified on two iron crosses, swords thrust into their still beating hearts. They cried out for him, but no matter how hard he tried, Sora could not reach his friends. It seemed the closer he tried to get to him, the further they seemed to float away. Then, from out of the black sky, that same evil red eye stared down at him. Sora's throat began to constrict and he was lifted in the air. With a sudden motion, he was thrust into the sea. The sea too was red with blood. He drew his head up from under the ocean of blood, but a black narled hand seemed to grab him by the throat and thrust his head beneath the surface. Sora couldn't breathe and tried to raise his head with all his might, but the hand kept him firmly submerged beneath the bloody waves. Sora looked to see dead corpses lying at the bottom of the sea. Then suddenly the arms of the dead took hold of his arms and they too wrapped around his throat, making it utterly impossible to surface for fresh air. He then saw the eye staring down at him and he saw his own death. His arms and head being held underneath the ocean of blood as his legs thrashed about violently in the dry sand trying to break the strong hold around his upper body. Sora could see himself slowly suffocate. With a final breath, he cried out for help.

It was then that Sora awoke from his nightmare. He had been asleep for a good half of the day and the sun was once again setting in the west. He was drenched in sweat and his hands were trembling.

"Oh God." he said. "It was just a dream. Just a dream." But as he breathed a sigh of relief, a scream of terror filled the air. He looked about to see what had happened. He rushed to where he had heard the scream. As he approached, he came upon a horrific sight. Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka lay motionless on the ground. He ran to Tidus's side. Tidus had suffered a blow to the head and a stream of blood rushed from his right temple. "Tidus! Tidus! What happened! Who did this to you!" Tidus opened his eyes and glanced at Sora with a look of death upon his face.

"Sora..." he muttered.

"Are you alright?"-

"A... man... He came and attacked... us. We didn't... have time to.. react.."

"Where are Riku and Kairi! Are they alright! Did they get involved!"-

"Riku... Kairi... screaming in terror... Riku went after... him." Tidus pointed towards the secret spot. Sora gently lay Tidus down and ran into the passage leading to the secret spot. As he entered the chamber, he saw Riku on the ground, covered in blood. He glanced up to see Kairi being grabbed by the throat by a man in black.

"Sora!" she cried.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Sora. He saw Riku's fallen sword and he picked it up. Sora attacked the assailant, but an unseen force suddenly held him back.

"You again I see.What a futile effort." The sword was suddenly knocked out of Sora's hand, far from his reach, by that same invisible force. "All in vain I'm afraid."

"No!" Sora shouted. "I won't let you take Kairi!" Sora suddenly unleashed his double keyblades from his left and right hand, the Oblivion and the Ultima. "Let's see you take me out now! I am master of the keyblades!"

"Such idiocy. You will not be needing those" The man in black lifted a finger and suddenly, both the Ultima and the Oblivion, Sora's most powerful keyblades, were shattered like glass. The fragments spilled upon the ground and vanished into ashes.

"The Keyblades…" Sora uttered. His eyes filled with great fear now. "He destroyed them like they were nothing."

"The Keyblades are nothing. And neither are you. You, Sora, are a mere relic of the past. The keyblades are obsolete against us. Nothing that we must fear." Sora once again felt the grip of the invisible force around his throat. He was lifted in to the air with his feet dangling just a few inches of the ground. Sora opened one eye.

"K…Kairi…" Sora uttered, slowly strangling.

"S…Sora…" Kairi cried. She then fell limp in the hands of the man.

"You…You monster!"-

"I thought you were warned!" said the man in black. "Is your life really that expendable!" He turned towards the secret door, which suddenly opened, leading to a black vortex. From within the vortex, Sora could once again see the eye in the darkness.

"You..." uttered Sora.

"I warned you!" said the figure. "Now die!"

A sudden burst of energy threw Sora back towards the wall at incredible speed. But as he came closer to impact with the wall, a figure jumped out from behind him and caught Sora in mid-air. Sora looked to see a familiar face looking at him. A face that he thought he would never see again.

"Leon?" said Sora.

"It's been a long time, eh Sora." said Leon.

"He didn't come alone either." said another voice. Sora looked to see another familiar face.

"Yuffie?"-

"The one and only!" she chuckled.

"So, the Alliance has requested for your aid too?" said the figure. "Well, that's perfect. I now have more insects to worry about! No matter! You aren't a threat to me!" The figure turned and disappeared into the darkness of the vortex.

"This isn't over yet!" shouted Leon.

"Oh, I believe it is, my friend!" chuckled the man in black. "We have what we want and that's all we need!" With that the man turned, placing Kairi in his arms and entered the vortex.

"No you don't!" shouted Sora. He quickly stood and picked up Riku's sword and attacked Kairi's kidnapper, but it was too late as the door shut behind the man in black. Sora pounded his fist at the door and dropped to his knees with tears in his eyes. "Why! Why again!"

"Sora." said Yuffie. But Leon threw his hand in front of her in a jester as if to say 'don't say anything right now.' Sora stood up slowly and approached his two comrades.

"It's happening again isn't it." said Sora with his head down. "The Heartless. They've returned haven't they."

"It isn't the Heartless this time." said Leon. "It's a force far worse than anything the Heartless, or the Organization could ever conjure up."

"You mean it's..."-

"I hate to interrupt," said Yuffie, "but I think it's best we discuss this later. We have to tend to the wounded first."

"Right." Leon agreed. "I leave you to take care of Riku. We'll see if we can help your other friends." Leon and Yuffie walked own of the secret place. Sora turned to Riku who was still laying motionless on the ground. He knelt over his friend and held him in his arms.

"Riku! Riku!" he said. "Are you alright!" Riku opened his eyes.

"Sora." he whispered. There was a ghastly wound on his shoulder and across his chest, with streams of blood seeped from these immense cuts in his flesh. He gasped for breath as he reached for Sora. Sora placed his hand upon Riku's. "I tried. I tried... to protect... Kairi... but.."

"Don't talk. Save your energy. I got to get you help." He picked Riku up, putting the arm of his dying friend around his neck and led him out of the secret place to seek medical attention.

Riku opened his eyes and gazed around at where he was. He was in his own room, in his own bed, and his wounds had been bandaged up. He turned towards his bedside table to see Sora sleeping in the chair, resting his head on the bed. Riku sat up and placed his hand on his slumbering friends shoulder.

"Hey, Sora." he whispered. Sora stirred and looked at his friend.

"Hey, Riku." he uttered in a groggy voice. "You're awake." He pulled his head up. "How are your wounds?"

"They're fine. I don't even feel any pain." He scratched the bandages on his chest. "It's kind of itchy though." The door opened and two other figures came into the room. It was Leon and Yuffie.

"I see you've finally come to." said Leon. "That's good."

"We thought you weren't going to make it." added Yuffie.

"Where are the others?" asked Riku.

"They're doing fine. They suffered only minor injuries. Nothing serious, but your folks were worried sick."-

"You still haven't told us why you're here."-

"We've come to retrieve you. The universe needs your skills at its disposal."-

"But why?" asked Sora.

"If you don't help us, this new threat will spread to other worlds including your own." said Leon. "We need all the help we can get." There was a period of silence until Riku gazed at his three comrades.

"We'll do it." he said. "We have to get Kairi back."

"That's right." said Sora. "Kairi's been taken by those two guys. Any idea who they are?"

"We don't know." Leon explained. "Whoever they are, they intend to cause trouble. That's why you must come with us."

"Well, we have no choice. They took Kairi. We have to get her back."-

"Sora." said Riku. "Hand me my sword." Sora reached for the sword which rested upon the bedside table. He handed it to Riku and the young warrior unsheathed it, showing the glistening steel. "By this sword, we promise to retrieve Kairi and do all we can to save her and our home." But he suddenly dropped the sword and grasped at his shoulder.

"Riku!" cried Sora. As he gently lay Riku down. "You're still injured."

"I'll be alright." Sora picked up the sword and placed it back in the sheath.

"No, you're not! If you try and fight in your condition, you'll be killed. Leave Kairi to me. I'll bring her back safely." But Riku grasped him by the collar of his shirt and lifted himself up.

"We're in this together! If we must fight and die, then we will do so together. Understand?" Sora gazed into his friend's eyes and saw a great fire of determination burning from within. He grasped Riku by the hand which grasped his shirt and his friend released him.

"If we must fight and die together, then I won't stop you." said Sora. Riku smiled and sat up again. He reached for his sword and stood out of bed. "This time, we stick together from beginning to end."

"And vow never to stray from each other." added Riku. He placed his arms around Sora and hugged him. "I will stay by your side as you have done for me countless times in the past." He released Sora and the two walked out of the room with Yuffie and Leon following behind.

As they reached the door in the secret place, Riku and Sora fastened on their swords. They stood in front of the wooden door and waited for it to open. As Leon and Yuffie stepped forward, the door suddenly opened and the same black vortex was seen.

"Here is where our mission begins." said Leon. "We head for Traverse Town. There we will get all the answers."

"Is there someone waiting for us in Traverse Town?" asked Sora.

"Yes. The people who will help us in this mission."-

The four walked through the door into the swirling thick of darkness, towards a light that gleamed like the end of a tunnel. As the door closed behind them, Sora and Riku new there was not turning back. Thus, their third great adventure begins.


	2. Trial of Competency

The Trial of Competency

It was a bright afternoon in Traverse Town. The sun began to set, touching down over the rooftops of this quiet settlement. There was a hustle and bustle within the town as the setting sun bid farewell to portable market booths where masters of their art where applying their trade. Fine foods and wines were sampled, fine pottery from distant worlds, miscellaneous merchandise sold underneath their respected canopies, and the plaza of the first district was booming with people. It was on this busy afternoon that Sora and the others entered the same small house in the third district, where they had assembled only a few years before. Within the third district, there was no hustle and bustle of traders, or businessmen for the activity only circulated around the first district. The four waited patiently in the house hoping that their other allies would show up soon. As the four waited patiently, Sora noticed Riku grasping at his arm.

"How's your wound?" he asked.

"It kind of stings right now." Riku replied. "But it's nothing serious. I think it's just a simple irritation of the skin and nothing more."

"Are you sure?"-

"I'll be alright, Sora. I just need to take it easy for now that's all."-

"Where are they?" said Leon suddenly. "They promised to be here an hour ago."

"Maybe something happened, Leon." added Yuffie.

"I hope not. This meeting is absolutely vital."-

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Yuffie looked out of the window and saw some familiar faces standing at the doorway. She opened the door and welcomed the three strangers.

"Come in." she said. As they entered, they gave their salutations to Leon and Yuffie then immediately turned their attentions towards Riku and Sora.

"Hey! It's been a long time hasn't it, Sora, Riku." said one of the voices. Sora and Riku gazed up to see three very familiar faces looking at them. They were none other than Goofy, Donald, and of course His Majesty, King Mickey.

"Hey, you guys!" said Sora. He jumped up and gave each of them a hardy handshake and a tight hug. Riku only nodded to their three former allies. "It's been so long."

"I hope that you've been taking care of yourself." said Donald.

"Gawrsh! You look a lot stronger from the last time we saw you." added Goofy.

"Leon! Yuffie!" said Mickey. "I understand that we were to have some new allies here to join us. Where are they?"

"We don't know." Leon explained. "They should have arrived by now, but we haven't received any word."

"Maybe, we should go out and look for them."-

"But uh, how would we know what they look like?" asked Goofy.

"I don't know. Maybe, they'll know us." said Mickey.

"It's settled then." Leon continued. "We'll look for them. Donald. You and Goofy will check the first district. Mickey and I will search the third district and the Magician's study. Yuffie, you stay here in case they arrive while we're gone. And Sora and Riku will look around in the second district and the back alley. Seek out anyone who looks lost. We'll meet back here one hour after sundown."

"Right!" the party shouted in unison. With that final statement, the parties went their separate ways. Goofy and Donald searched about the market place while Mickey and Leon looked about in the third district and the area of the Magician's study. Riku and Sora went in search of their hidden comrades in the second district.

As Goofy and Donald searched the market place, they came across a few items that caught their eyes. But unlike Donald, who spent his time looking for their missing ally, Goofy spent his time browsing around in the market place, looking at the perfect cup for his tea sets, or a hot batch of fried artichoke hearts to snack on, even gazing at the character figures at a nearby Disney booth.

"Wow!" he said, picking up a goofy action figure. "It's me."

"Goofy!" shouted Donald. "Stop goofing off! We have work to do!"

"Okie dokie!"-

"Sheesh. Can he get any goofier than this?"-

It was then that a voice called out from behind them.

"Excuse me. But are you the loyal friends of King Mickey and the key bearer?" asked the voice. Donald and Goofy turned around to see a frog dressed in a blue military uniform.

"Can I help you?" asked Donald.

"I believe that I am the one whom you've been searching for." said the frog. "Donald! Master of the Magician's Art! And Goofy, captain of His Majesty's elite imperial guards, am I correct? I am W.T. Sneer of the Universal Alliance."

"Sneer?" said Goofy. "So you're the one."

"We've been waiting for you for a long time!" shouted Donald, angrily. "You were supposed to meet us at the small house in the third district."

"I was fully aware of that." said Sneer. "My absence is only part of my primary strategy. I intend to test the competency of your other companions."

"Their competency?"-

"What does competency mean, Donald?" asked Goofy.

"You dummy! Do I have to explain everything to you!" Donald shouted. "Competency is another term for reliability. If they're good enough for the job!"

"Oh! Okay!"-

"I intend to have my three other comrades test the fighting abilities of your friends. In this particular situation, we need only the best fighters. Faint hearts will not succeed." Sneer pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the point to the designated time. "The others should be encountering my comrades right about now." He shut close the lid and joined Donald and Goofy. "Until their tasks are finished, I suggest we wait for them at that residential dwelling you were talking about." With that, Sneer began heading for the gates leading to the third district.

"Residential dwelling?" said Goofy.

"Can't that guy speak plain English for once." added Donald. The two joined Sneer, returning to the third district.

Meanwhile, within the third district, Leon and Mickey still searched for one of the remaining three allies. They had worked their way to the Magician's Study. They leaped from rock to rock, reaching the house where the venerable Merlin dwelled. They entered the study where they saw Merlin sitting in his chair, sipping a cup of tea.

"I knew you would be coming." said Merlin.

"How'd you know?" asked Mickey.

"I know everything. And I know why you've come." Merlin took another sip from his cup. "You've come to ask me the whereabouts of the man you seek."

"He's been eluding us for some time." said Leon. "Do you know where he is?"

"Oh, he's here alright." Merlin took out his pipe, lit it, and puffed a cloud of smoke over his head. "I see a young man, dressed in dark blue, and armed with two swords. He has the makings of a warrior. I believe you will find him on the way out."

"On the way out?" asked Mickey.

"It's best that we don't waste time then." said Leon. "Let's go!"

The two warriors exited out of the study. As they left, Mickey turned and glanced at Merlin.

"Thank you for you cooperation." said Mickey.

"Nothing to it, Your Majesty." replied the old wizard. "Come again some time." Mickey smiled and exited out.

The two once again hopped from rock to rock and came out of the little nook. They came into the plaza of the third district. But as they entered, they saw a man, in dark blue, standing next to the fountain. He was a young man, nineteen years old, or so. His skin was fair and youthful, as if it had never seen danger before. His back lay at ease up against the wall, with his arms folded in front of him. He wore a brimless hat, which looked like a tactician's cap. He gazed up at the two.

"So you two must be the ones for which I must test your competency." said the man. "Squall Leonhart and His Majesty, King Mickey I presume." The young man drew out two swords from behind him.

"And you must be the one whom Merlin told us about." said Leon.

"What do you mean by our competency?" asked Mickey.

"Stand and defend yourself!" shouted the young man, making a stance to fight.

"Who are you?" Leon demanded as he drew out his Gunblade. Mickey wasn't slow in drawing out his keyblade.

"I am Lu Xun! Prime Minister to the Kingdom of Wu and now a member of the elite fighting forces of the Universal Alliance!" Lu Xun attacked and locked blades with both warriors. Leon swung his Gunblade simultaneously at Lu Xun, but the agile warrior from Wu blocked each on coming hit and dodged every blast which bellowed from the Gunblade. Mickey would use his own agility to attack Lu Xun from behind, from the sides, and from above, but every attack he attempted was somehow predicted and the prime minister managed to evade the strike. Lu Xun would throw himself into the air, then suddenly slam down into the ground, causing a blast of energy which blew his tow opponents off their feet.

"I've had enough of this!" said Leon. He began to power up, summoning inner power which reverberated through his blade. The reach and impact of his Gunblade had been increased twice its original strength. Mickey attacked with the infamous Ragnarok strike and struck at Lu Xun with a great ferocity. Energy beams bellowed from his keyblade and stuck at Lu Xun. Lu Xun was eventually backed into a corner. Leon and Mickey charged at him.

"It's over!" shouted Leon. But they suddenly saw that Lu Xun was now beginning to glow in a dim light.

"Take this!" shouted Lu Xun. Suddenly, he counterattacked with a powerful energy attack which blew his attackers away. Mickey and Leon fell to the ground with their weapons landing only a few feet away from them. Lu Xun gained his composure and sheathed his double swords. Leon and Mickey stood back up and picked up their weapons.

"You are better than I thought." said Lu Xun. "And you would have finished me off had I not counter struck with my musou attack. Sneer would be pleased of your efforts and abilities."

"You're not so bad yourself." added Leon.

"Yeah." said Mickey. "I don't think I could have fought you on my own. I need more training." It was then that they heard clapping coming from behind them. They turned to see Sneer, Goofy, and Donald standing nearby.

"Most impressive." said Sneer. "I am pleased with your skills." He walked up to Lu Xun. "You've done well, young one." He then turned to Leon and Mickey. "Leon and King Mickey I presume. You have extraordinary skills and your reputations proceed you beyond my own expectations. There has been no warrior who has been able to match Lu Xun's own strength."

"So, you must be the one in charge?" asked Mickey.

"Yes. I am W.T. Sneer of the Universal Alliance." Mickey was dumbfounded and he fell to his knees.

"I didn't know it was you, Sneer."-

"Get up, my friend." Sneer put his hand on Mickey and the young king stood to his feet. "I would like to consider us equals in status."

"Of course."-

"Boy. This guy must be quite influential." Leon thought to himself. "If King Mickey can kneel before him without any hesitation, he must be someone of great importance."

"Well, now that we have assembled, I think it would be best to wait for my other two associates to complete their tasks." said Sneer.

"Two others?" asked Goofy.

"Two other warriors I sent out to test the fighting skills of Riku and Sora." Sneer began walking away. "Do not worry. I'm sure that they'll do well enough. Besides, my comrades know better than to take the lives of future allies."

"I guess there isn't anything to worry about if Sneer isn't concerned." said Leon.

"Well, it's best that we just sit and wait for Riku and Sora." added Mickey. The company followed shortly behind Sneer. Now only two warriors remain to be tested.

The sun had set completely and once again the stars twinkled in the sky. The second district was quiet with no one about, but the two young warriors. Sora and Riku looked about to see if there was anyone around. They had been looking around for a good hour or so, but they had not found anyone within the second district.

"Maybe there was no one here to begin with." said Sora.

"Either that, or they've been moving about and we haven't been able to spot them." replied Riku.

"Why do you think that?"-

"For some reason, Sora, I feel as if there's someone here watching us."-

"I have an idea, Riku. Why don't we split up into two parties. That way we'll cover more ground in less time."-

"Alright, Sora. Well, you keep looking here in the plaza while I go and search the back alley." Riku walked towards the doors leading to the back alley. He grasped his bandaged arm which was still weak since his fight on Destiny Island.

"Will you be alright, Riku?" asked Sora with concern.

"I'll be fine." replied Riku. "Just stick to the plan. If I need help, I'll seek you out." Sora could only watch as Riku entered through the doors of the back alley.

"I hope so." said Sora and continued to search for the last remaining allies.

It was within the back alley that the next confrontation would take place. Riku walked down the back alley up to the doors of the Dalmatian House, but there was no one in sight. He turned around and headed back towards the gates of the alleyway. But as he neared the gate, he heard someone behind him. Then a voice spoke to him.

"So you must be Riku." said the voice.

"Who wants to know?" asked Riku. He turned to see a young warrior, of a slightly older age, standing behind him with this arms folded in front of him. "Are you the ally I was supposed to seek out?"

"You might say that." replied the warrior. "I have been sent out here to find you and test your competency, Riku."

"My competency? What do you mean by that?"-

"Your fighting skills." The young warrior unsheathed his sword and took his stance. He glanced temporarily at the sword sheathed at Riku's side. "I see you excel in swordsmanship. Do you have a natural talent as I?" Riku slowly unsheathed his sword and stood on his guard.

"We'll find out!" His blade was aimed at his opponent. "I don't believe you've introduced yourself. I would like to know who I'm fighting."

"I am Goten! Son of Goku and member of the esteemed Z team!" Goten suddenly engaged in a charge attack. Riku countered the oncoming blade and slashed at Goten. But Goten managed to evade the slash attack and rebound on the ground. The two gripped in intense fighting with their blades of steel clashing and sparking against each other. The two combatants were equal in strength and skill. However, there was a slight disadvantage between the two, Because of Riku's wounds which were still fresh, he had a hard time maintaining his stamina and keeping his sword above his head.

"Not bad, Riku." chuckled Goten. "But then of course, I just started using a sword less than a year ago. Had I given the same kind of dedication, with a sword, like you throughout my life, I might have had a greater impact against you."

"What!" Riku thought to himself. "This guy has only trained with a sword in less than a year and his sword skills are even greater than my own? But how can that be possible!" Riku took up his sword again, but his wounded shoulder had taken enough strain and began to ache with pain. Riku was quick to grasp his arm as his sword fell to the ground. He fell to his knees and cried out in pain. His wound had reopened and the blood was now seeping through his shirt.

"Oh God! Are you alright!" shouted Goten as he rushed towards his opponent. "Let me see." Goten shifted up Riku's shirt and saw the blood seeping through the bandages.

"I thought I could take it and fight even with a wounded arm." Riku grasped his arm. "But I guess my body hadn't fully recovered."

"Are you telling me that you were fighting me with a deep wound like that all this time?" Goten pulled out a small bag from his pocket and took out a bean. "Take this." Riku looked at the little morsel in his opponent's hand.

"What is it?"-

"It's called a Senzu bean. It'll heal that wound and any other problems in your body." he handed it to Riku. Riku looked at it one last time before engulfing it. Suddenly, within five seconds after he has chewed and swallowed the bean, Riku's body was filled with a great relief of recuperation. He looked at the shoulder where the wound was. He wiped off the blood, but there was no pain and no sign that a wound was ever there from before.

"Unbelievable!" said Riku. "I feel great!" He looked at Goten and smiled. "Thank you for helping me."

"Don't mention it." chuckled Goten as he stood to his feet. He threw out his hand and helped Riku to his feet. "You proved to be a worthy opponent. And a worthy opponent deserves all my respect. If you had been fighting at full strength, I would have been forced to fight full strength as well."

"Oh! So you were holding back too."-

The two chuckled and gave each other a hardy handshake to assure their newly formed comradeship. Another fight had ended and now only one remains. Sora was now in the center of the second district plaza and there was still no one in sight.

"I give up." he thought. "As far as I know, I'm probably searching for someone that doesn't even exist. Maybe Riku already found him. I'll go find him then." But ad Sora approached the doors leading to back alley, he saw a figure outlined against the evening sky. He stood on the rooftop above the gates leading to the first district. A black cape was wrapped around the individual and flapped freely in the wind.

"Ah! So you must be Sora!" said the figure.

"Who are you!" shouted Sora. "Show your face!"

"I shall be your opponent!"-

"Are you the guy I'm looking for!"-

"I am." The figure leaped from the rooftop and landed in front of the plaza fountain. Sora looked upon his face. He was a young warrior with the face of a teenage youth. A lad of at least twenty years, or more though, he was much older than Sora. His cape settled on the ground with a slight breeze fluttering it. His hair was tied in a ponytail and stretched down to his shoulders. He was armed with what looked like a trident, or pitchfork. There was a glare of fire in this youth's eyes.

"I'll ask you again. Who are you!" asked Sora

"I am Cuchulain! The Hound of Ulster!" said the youth. "I have come to fight the legendary bearer of the keyblade!"

Cuchulain took of the cape and threw it behind him. The cape fell to the ground, landing next to the walkway of the small shops which lined the plaza. From behind him he drew his trident and faced Sora in a fighting stance. Sora reached for his sword, unsheathing it in such a smooth form. There was a stand off between the two young warriors as each observed the others possible strike.

"Let me make myself clear, my friend." said Cuchulain. "I have never in my life lost a battle before."

"Well, there's always a first." replied Sora.

"Enough!"-

Cuchulain suddenly attacked with great fury, lunging his trident. Sora was quick to dodge and swung his sword down upon his attacker. But Cuchulain was quick and turned to block the sword strike. The two locked in intense weapon grappling. Sora slashed away with his sword, using the techniques which he had learned from his passed experiences. However, despite his skills, he was not able to break Cuchulain's defense.

"It won't be that easy to break my defense!" chuckled Cuchulain. "I am the best of Ulster and I know no equal!"

"You talk too much for your own good!" shouted Sora. "You certainly talk big, but in reality, you must know as well as I that both of our strengths are equal!"

"I have no equal in battle!" Cuchulain charged forward. "I am the strongest here!"

"We'll see! Take this then!" Sora threw his sword into the air and cast a spell upon Cuchulain. "Stop!" With that, the Stopga spell, which he learned years before, was activated and Cuchulain was suddenly paralyzed. Sora saw an open opportunity and attacked Cuchulain, but the Hound only grinned and broke free of the spell. He thrust the trident at Sora, but the young key bearer managed to dodge by only a few millimeters of the three sharp prongs. He evaded Cuchulain and made his stance. His shirt had been torn across his torso and blood seeped from three cuts received by the trident.

"You fool! Stopga only works on those weaker than you!" said Cuchulain. "If your opponent is equal to your level or greater, then they can break the spell!" The Hound raised his weapon and drew it against Sora. "Secondly, I despise those who use magic! I won't allow you to use any more of your parlor tricks! This fight ends now!"

Cuchulain lunged forward again, but Sora was ready this time and dodged the prongs. Using the but of his sword, he knocked Cuchulain at the back of the head. The Hound fell to the ground, but rebound back to his feet. He swung his weapon at Sora, but the boy managed to evade, or block every hit given. Sora stepped back and used his thrust attack, but Cuchulain jumped over his head and slashed at him from behind. Sora fell to the ground with three new cuts on his back. He stood back up, but as he turned, he saw the Hound almost on top of him.

"I've had enough of you!" shouted Sora. He powered up and launched his infamous Ragnarok strike. Cuchulain was overwhelmed and was hit by every strike. Sora's sword deployed the final attack with powerful energy beams bellowing from his sword. The Hound was struck and was rammed against the wall. There was a great impact and a hole was made in the walls of the upper walkway. Sora took his stance and was ready for any retaliation from Cuchulain. From the rubble, Cuchulain emerged with a stream of blood running from a cut in his forehead and from his mouth.

"I guess you weren't as tough as you thought yourself to be!" chuckled Sora. "Get ready! This will be the first defeat you'll ever experience!"

"Most impressive." said Cuchulain, spitting out a broken tooth. "You certainly caught me off guard, but that won't happen this time around!" He once again held his trident before him, ready to face the key bearer. "I intend to finish this fight here and now!" There was a sudden change in Cuchulain. His body began to bulk in muscle mass and the innocent expression on his face began to change. He closed his eyes, allowing the inner rage to take over.

Suddenly, Cuchulain gave out an inhuman cry which sounded like that of a wolf. When he opened his eyes, they were a vicious red. The expression of his face changed dramatically as if he had become pure evil. Whatever this transformation was, if had left Sora utterly scared at the sight.

"What is this transformation!" said Sora to himself. "He's completely different from before! Those eyes, they're frightening to me!"

"Now you will see for yourself why they call me the Hound of Ulster!" shouted Cuchulain. He suddenly attacked Sora with great speed and nicked the young warrior to the ground.

The cry of Cuchulain did not go unnoticed by the others. Leon and Mickey ran out of the house in the district.

"What was that?" said Mickey. "It sounded like... like..."

"Like a demon." added Leon. Sneer came out as well, a streak of terror across his face.

"Sora must have pushed Cuchulain off the edge, forcing him to unleash the Rage!" said Sneer. "He has become the Hound of Ulster! I only wanted Cuchulain to test Sora's competency, but Cuchulain also cares about his pride as a warrior! He's gone too far this time! We have to stop the fight!" Sneer ran to the gates leading to the second district.

"Where are you going?" asked Leon.

"We have to stop the fight at once! Cuchulain has transformed into the Hound of Ulster! Sora doesn't stand a chance!"-

"Don't worry about it." said Mickey. "If I know Sora, he can handle himself."

"You don't get it! When Cuchulain transforms into the Hound of Ulster, he loses the ability to think logically! All he can see is blood! That is the one reason why I took in Cuchulain, so that I would be able to avoid fighting him myself!" Sneer's words cause a shill to run down the spines of the company measures. "If we don't stop the fight, Sora will die!"

"There's not a minute to lose!" said Lu Xun. "If we stall here any longer, it'll probably be too late!"

"Right! Let's go!" said Yuffie. The company rushed into the second district.

Meanwhile, Goten and Riku heard the same eerie cry of the Hound.

"What was that?" asked Riku.

"Oh no!" said Goten. "Cuchulain you fool! You allowed your pride to get the best of you!" Goten took Riku by the hand and pulled him along. "We have to stop the fight!"

"Will you let go of me!" shouted Riku, releasing himself. "What do you mean we have to stop the fight!"

"The fight between Sora and Cuchulain!"-

"Cuchulain?"-

"He's the fourth member of our party! And when he taps into that inner rage of his, he's an unstoppable force! He has become the Hound of Ulster!"-

"You mean he might..."-

"Yes, he might kill Sora!"-

"Then let's go!" Goten and Riku rushed to the gates, leading to the second district, hoping that they wouldn't arrive too late.

With in the second district, the fight continued. Sora was now a at complete disadvantage now that Cuchulain had truly become the hound of Ulster. He had been thrashed about like a rag doll and his shirt had been torn from his body. His youthful muscles throbbed with pain as blood seeped from cuts and scrapes which were further inflicted by the hound. Sora stood up with his sword at the ready.

"Cuchulain! Stop this!" he cried, but the Hound took no heed.

"I am the strongest here!" said the Hound. "I will kill you!"

"What!"-

Cuchulain raised his spear above his head and threw it at Sora. The trident gave out a piercing scream as it glided in the air towards its target. Sora didn't know why Cuchulain threw it from such a long distance. As terrifying as the scream of the trident was, it was only a sound. Sora dodged the trident and the spear passed harmlessly by.

"You think it's over!" chuckled the Hound. Sora once again heard the high-pitched scream coming from behind. As he turned, he saw the trident returning to impale him from the rear. Sora dodged the spear again, but again the spear came at him. Seven times Sora tried to dodge, and all seven times the trident returned to smite him. Finally, Sora, weary and tired dodged only by a hair as the trident slashed at his abdomen, creating three more cuts. Sora fell to the ground, sweat pouring from his face and stinging his wounds. He looked to see the trident coming at him again. He threw his sword out in front of him and blocked the impact of the trident. He threw it off course and the trident fell to the ground. The Hound retrieved it and held it over his head again. Sora now kneeled on the ground, tired from the trial.

"What kind of weapon is that?" he said.

"This is no ordinary weapon!" chuckled the Hound. "This trident is known as the Gae Bulga, given to me by the great warrior, Skya! No one has the power to wield it, but me! It is a unique weapon, which locks onto the energy signal of its intended target! So no matter how many times you try and dodge, you can never evade death from the Gae Bulga's three points!" The Hound held it higher into the air. Sora tried to stand, but he fell again against the wall of the Gizmo shop.

"Is this how it ends?" he thought to himself. "Dying by the hands of an intended ally? That rage has blinded him. He can only see death."

"Now die!" roared the Hound. He thrust the Gae Bulga at Sora who now lay helpless against the wall.

"Cuchulain."-

Then, from out of the blue, Goten emerged and knocked the Gae Bulga off its path. The trident struck the wall and lodged itself into the stone.

"That's enough!" shouted Goten, angrily.

"You're in the way." said the Hound.

"Are you alright, Sora?" asked Riku as he kneeled by his side. Sora sat up and grasped at his shoulder. He looked at Cuchulain. "What's your problem, Cuchulain! Don't you realize what you've done!" But the Hound's mouth only foamed, causing Riku to back down silently.

"No use talking to him, Riku." Goten explained. "He can't distinguish between friend, or foe. He's just a mindless beast who only thirsts for blood."

"It is your blood which I thirst, Goten!" said the Hound. "You dare come between the Hound and his prey! I will slay you as well!"

"Enough!" shouted Goten as he powered up. There was a bright flash of light which blinded Sora, Riku, and Cuchulain. Before them, Goten had transformed into a Super Saiyan. "If you wish to kill someone, then I will be the first to go!"

"If that is what you wish, then I shall grant it!"-

Cuchulain lunged at Goten while Goten made ready to take the impact of the attack from his oncoming opponent.

"Stop this right now!" roared a voice. Both the Hound and Goten stopped to see Sneer and the other standing only a few feet away. "Stop this right now, both of you! I will not have us fighting amongst ourselves!" He walked between the two combatants. "Cuchulain! I know you have your pride as a member of the esteemed Red Branch and as the infamous Hound of Ulster, but now isn't the time to act irrationally!"

"I know not rational thought!" said the Hound. "I will slay all who get in my way!"

Suddenly, with an iron fist, Cuchulain punched himself in the head. Blood further dripped from the already open wound on his forehead and he fell to his knees. But as he looked again at the members of the company, the expression on his face had changed again. He no longer had that threatening look of a wild animal. Instead, he once again had the innocent look of a young warrior who knew rational thought.

"What happened?" he said. He then looked at Sora, who lay wounded against the wall. "Sora!" He ran up to his fallen opponent. He saw on the boy's body, cuts that came in three which could have only been wounds inflicted by the Gae Bulga. He fell to the ground and began to cry. "I did it again didn't I! I dipped into the Rage and became the Hound of Ulster! Because of my pride, I nearly killed a fellow warrior who I deemed was supposed to be my ally! Forgive me Sora! Forgive me!" Tears ran down the face of the young warrior. Sora got up and placed his hand on Cuchulain's shoulder. The Hound looked at him with tears flowing down his cheeks.

"It's alright." said Sora. "You couldn't have known." Cuchulain smiled at his fallen comrade and Sora smiled back at him.

"So that's it!" said Riku. "This kid tries to kill Sora and we just let it go as if it never happened!"

"It could not be helped, Riku." said Lu Xun. "Cuchulain cannot fully control his actions when he becomes the Hound of Ulster."

"Besides, Cuchulain wasn't the only person who has threatened Sora's life before." added Sneer. "There was another before him who tried to take his heart, am I correct!" Riku realized what Sneer was trying to say. He remembered from his own past that Ansem and the Heartless, who had plotted him against Sora, had manipulated him. Taking heed of his own past, he let the incident of that night slip by without any second thought and allowed the grudge against the Hound to disappear from his mind completely.

"I see your point." said Riku. He looked at Cuchulain who glanced at him, hoping for sympathy. "You have been forgiven." He stretched out his hand towards Cuchulain.

"Thank you." replied the Hound. They grasped hands in friendship and all was forgotten of murder and hate.

"Well, now that we have that settled," said Mickey, "shouldn't you start explaining the situation now?"

"Of course." replied Sneer. He turned to Goten. "Goten. Make sure to give a Senzu bean to both Cuchulain and Sora."

"Right." said Goten. He reached into his pocket and took from the small bag, a couple of Senzu beans and gave them to the two warriors. "Eat these. They'll heal your wounds and replenish your strength."

"Thanks." said Sora and Cuchulain and they took the two beans from Goten. They ate them and within a few seconds, they were back on their feet.

"Wow!" said Sora. "I feel great!"

"Me too!" added Cuchulain.

"Well, let's head back to the house in the third district." said Sneer. But as they began to leave, they heard snoring from behind them. The party looked to see Cuchulain asleep.

"He's asleep?" said Sora.

"Oh I forgot to mention Cuchulain uses up a lot of energy when it comes to using the Rage. When he fazes out of the Rage, he's usually left exhausted. Not even the Senzu bean can fully restore the amount of mental energy used by him."-

"Should we wake him up?"-

"Don't do that. It's against his ges, or his prohibition in other words. He must wake up at his own time."-

"But what if he's awoken against his own will?"

"Then trouble will be in store for not only him, but us as well. And at this present time, the last thing we need is trouble." Sneer turned to Lu Xun. "You and Goten carry him back to the house. And for God's sake be quiet about it!"

"We gotcha." Lu Xun replied. Goten and Lu Xun hurried along and picked up their slumbering friend. The party continued to the third district where they would have their meeting and where Sneer would explain all that was needed to be known. Thus, ended the night of trial and test. However, it wasn't over yet. Little did the fellowship know that eyes who were not meant to see them in action were observing them.


	3. A Threat Like No Other

A Threat Like No Other

Sora gazed on at Cuchulain who lay in a deep sleep on a small bed in the corner. Cuchulain, who had proven to be a rather tough opponent seemed so innocent when he slept.

"Boy," said Sora. "This guy really knows how to sleep."

"Will you leave him alone, Sora." Riku ordered. "We have something to discuss right now."

"Alright!" Sora put on a new shirt, given by Sneer, and scurried over to where the others awaited him.

"OK! We're all assembled." said Mickey. "Now what?"

'I'll get straight to the point." said Sneer. "The Dark Empire is beginning an invasion against all parallel realms. Now all dimensional realms are in danger of being overrun by their forces."

"The Dark Empire?" asked Donald.

"Yes. It is a massive organization whose only purpose is to obtain the ideal of controlling the universe and all dimensional realms as one big super power. However, many people within the universe refuse to abide by the iron fist policies of the Empire. Therefore, the Imperial forces are taking worlds by force."-

"They're planning to do the same as the heartless then." Yuffie explained.

"That's not it, Yuffie. The Heartless were bent on destroying all worlds entirely and return them to darkness. The Dark Empire has a far worse fate in mind. They plan on conquering all worlds and subduing the inhabitants into becoming loyal members of the Empire. However, while the top lords of the Empire gain more wealth and power, those under their whim will be oppressed and subjugated to serve only them."-

"How did the Dark Empire come to be?" asked Sora.

"The Dark Empire had originated from the universal realm where Goten and I come from." Sneer further explained. "We had confronted the forces of the Empire more times than I can remember. The Empire was established when three tyrannical powers were converged into one super power. Lords run the Empire itself. And among those lords, there are three top overlords, known as the Three Excellencies. Each one of the Three Excellencies is responsible for overlooking each of the three original tyrannical powers."

"Who are they?" asked Riku.

"First, there is Lord Drako Arakis. He is in charge of the branch known as the Arakis Foundation, which acts as the financial backbone of the Empire. He keeps the wealth of the Empire in check by exploiting the labors and valuable minerals and materials of different worlds. Arakis is also leader of the infamous Imperial Legion, which consists of the top elite fighters in the universe. So far, no force has been able to confront the Imperial Legion and emerge in tact, let alone victorious. Arakis was the founder of the Immortals, which act as personal bodyguards of the top overlord of the Three Excellencies. Finally, he is also the leader of the infamous Death Lords. A squadron of five of the Empire's top fighters whose main assignments involve the subduing of nations, the assassination of leaders posing a possible threat, but most importantly, they're assigned for intimidation. And believe me, these particular five live up to their reputations as being amongst the most powerful lords in the Empire."

"And the other two?" asked Mickey. "Besides Lord Arakis, what are the other two responsible for?"

"I was just getting to that, your Majesty." Sneer continued. "The next of the Three Excellencies is Lord Dextera Viro. He is the one who overlooks the former Midnight Organization, which is responsible for assembling the manpower for the Empire's military forces. Out of the three, Viro is the one who does most of the strategic planning. He excels in open military combat. Terrestrial, amphibious, aerial, extra-terrestrial, you name it. It is because of his careful planning of battle and deployment of troops that the Imperial forces always seem invulnerable, or a step ahead."

"What about the final member of the Three Excellencies?" asked Mickey.

"The final member of the Three Excellencies is the top overlord of the three." Sneer said. "The supreme overseer of the empire itself, Lord Vischerz Von Cavendish. He overlooks the former Red Ribbon Organization who's responsible for all technological achievements within the empire. And out of the three, he is the deadliest amongst them. The reason why is because of his extraordinary power. He is perhaps the only lord throughout the Empire who has the ability to obliterate a large galaxy from existence just by accumulating the energy resonating from his eyes." The others stood shocked at what they heard.

"What!" said Riku. "Are you saying that this guy can destroy an entire galaxy just by looking at it?"

"Exactly! That's how precise Cavendish is when it comes to manipulating energy. With his level of skill, he can not only manipulate energy, but he can also concentrate it to have ten to a hundred times the destructive power expected. He excels in everything, from planning strategy to superior fighting abilities. He has the ability to absorb energy as well as souls. As far as I know, he has also been able to control the very essence to which the universe was created. The power of the Mandate."-

"Mandate?" asked Sora. "What's that?"

"The Mandate is the very essence of life and death in the universe. It is what determines fate, destiny, karma, and gess. It is the source of life and death, destruction and rebirth, good and evil. Basically, it is the essence where everything we know and think originated."

"Then what's the story behind this Mandate and how was it possible for someone like Lord Cavendish to control it?-

"When the universe was first created, long before there were ever separate dimensional realms, there was the Great Deity who created the essence of everything that would be. This was dubbed the Mandate. It is the very energy which is purest of all. The Great Deity wanted ten other deities to look over it. But something went wrong as time progressed and the guardians began to fight over this great sphere of energy. Within time, because of their impure ways, the Mandate blackened and dimmed and cracks began to develop within it. Then one day, as the story goes, the Mandate exploded into billions of little shards and spread throughout the great emptiness that is the universe. With each shard, a dimensional realm was created. Seeing their faults, the ten guardians went to find these scattered shards. Each found 50 million of the best warriors to serve under them and retrieve the shards. But with retrieving the shards, there came a price. Only those with the status of a Deity could touch and wield the shards. Many a gallant warrior who touched this pure energy was obliterated. Within a period of a million years, known as the Era of Great Chaos, where evil and good, living and dead lived amongst each other, all shards were eventually returned to their place of origin. All except one, which remained elusive until now. A single shard had escaped the eyes of the deity guardians and fell into the hands of the most evil individual ever known in the universe. Cavendish's heart was pure alright, pure evil. And because it was pure evil, he was able to wield the Mandate shard. And because of his extraordinary strength, he was the only who was able to touch it, let alone hold it in his bare hand."

"But how did a guy like that gain so much strength to begin with?" asked Leon. "It would take years for someone to gain enough power to destroy a galaxy just by looking at it. I mean how did he do it?"

"The reason is it did take years for Cavendish to gain immeasurable strength." said Sneer. "Fourteen Thousand years to be precise."

"Fourteen Thousand!" said Sora, shocked.

"Exactly. And in that period of time, he has gained enough skill to be almost totally invincible, even without the Mandate. Of course, Cavendish is also a chivalrous individual and denies himself use of the Mandate, putting all his faith in his own strength. That works well for us because if he were to use the Mandate, he could bend history entirely in his favor. Anyone who manages to wield the power of the Mandate... is invincible."-

It was at that moment that Goten picked up a high-energy signal. He looked outside, but there was no one about. However, his sudden change in subject caught Sneer's attention.

"What is it, Goten?" asked Sneer.

"Someone is out there." replied Goten. "Someone with incredible strength. The energy is coming from the second district."

"Turn off the lights." said Leon. The lights were dimmed and the party snuck out of the house one by one and entered through the gates of the second district. They worked their way onto the second floor of the quiet shop area.

"There are lights coming from the second district." said Riku. The party gathered to look out a darkened window. There, in the plaza of the second district, there stood a regiment of Imperial soldiers.

"I knew it." said Goten. "Imperials."

"Those are soldiers of the Dark Empire?" asked Sora.

"That's them." replied Sneer. "That's an awfully large force. At least one full regiment. Cavendish must be getting desperate to find us. He's sending out one of his best regiments to look for us."

"How many are there?"-

"At least a thousand."-

"A thousand. How are we gonna take on a thousand?"-

"We don't. Against those odds, we are outmatched. We'll just have to withdraw for now."-

"Let's be on our way then." said Yuffie. "Not even we can take on that many at one time." The party began to slowly back away from the window.

"Wait." said Lu Xun. "There's someone exiting out of the hotel. They must be the ones in charge." The party went to observe and sure enough, a solitary warrior made himself present before the troops.

"Oh my God." said Goten. "It's General Kai. Leader of the Cavendish Shinobis."

"Who's General Kai?" asked Sora.

"He's a mystic who had been raised within the Empire and excels in the Seven Elemental Arts."-

"Hey, someone else coming out from the hotel." said Yuffie. The party looked to see a man dressed in a dark grey overcoat with a well-dressed shako placed upon his head.

"That's General Ameba, second overseer of the Midnight Organization." said Sneer. "The Empire must be acting in desperation alright. Are we of that great a significance to them?"

"What's he do?" asked Riku.

"He's a fanatical thinker. The one responsible for overseeing the genocide of many races throughout the universe. He's known for his reckless chaos."-

The party looked to see as two other individuals came out the hotel. As these two final figures emerged from within, Sneer, Lu Xun, and Goten were stricken with fear.

"Oh my God!" said Lu Xun, looking upon a large warrior covered in a thick suit of armor. "It... it... it's Lu Bu!"

"Lu Bu!" asked Mickey.

"Which one is he!" added Yuffie.

"The tall one." replied Sneer.

"The guy with those big feelers on his head?" Sora snickered. "He looks funny."

"I wouldn't laugh if I were you. Lu Bu may look ridiculous with those giant feelers on his head when you first see him. But he's earned a reputation for being a ferocious warrior. And those goofy looking feelers have earned a sense of fear. After you engage in battle with him, your aspect of his appearance will change dramatically."-

"How did a man like Lu Bu end up with the Empire?" asked Lu Xun.

"Perhaps he had been persuaded by Arakis down there."-

"Arakis. So he must be the guy all dressed in that black military uniform." said Riku.

"That is correct." Sneer continued. "And he is the most dangerous out of the four. Remember, he is one of the Three Excellencies and his power is known for causing utter devastation throughout the universe."

"Shh! I hear them talking." said Yuffie.

Within the plaza of the second district, three soldiers appeared, kneeling before the four. They were men dressed in black, their faces half covered by a black mask.

"Scouts have reported in." said General Kai.

"What news do you have for us." said Arakis. "Have you come to tell me of their whereabouts?"

"Yes, your Excellency." replied the 1st spy. "We have located the meeting place of our targets. They have recently assembled in a small house in the third district."

"Tell me, who is amongst them?"-

"There are eleven altogether. First, there is King Mickey and his two subordinates. Goofy, captain of the Royal Knights, and Donald, the chief sorcerer and prime minister of Mickey's kingdom. Secondly, there are also the two key bearers, Sora and Riku. Then, there are Squall Leonhart and the Great Ninja Yuffie who have also come to aid the resistance. As well, there is a young warrior named Lu Xun, who addressed himself as the prime minister of Wu, and another young warrior named Cuchulain, who's also known as the Hound of Ulster."-

"So, it seems they managed to ensnare the legendary Hound of Ulster." chuckled Arakis. "Sneer must be desperate to gain as many strong allies as possible."

"Is there anyone else amongst them?" asked General Ameba.

"I am also afraid to report that W.T. Sneer and Son Goten are present as well." said the spy. There was a sudden look of surprise which streaked on the face of Lord Arakis.

"So, Sneer has decided to deal with this little matter himself, eh?" said Arakis. "Well, I won't stand for it. We've lost to him before in the past and because we continuously underestimated him, our forces have suffered dearly. Well, not this time." He turned to General Kai. "General Kai. You will personally lead our troops and track down these rebels!"

"As you wish, my lord." replied General Kai in a deep sinister voice. "I live only to serve the empire."

"I don't care if you kill them all, or not, but there are a few within the party that I want eliminated permanently." Arakis categorized the targets which were to be eliminated first. "For your first target, I want you to eliminate Son Goten!"

"But Goten isn't much of a threat my lord! I don't think there is any need to send in the men to help seek and destroy a meager Saiyan whelp! I'll take care of it myself!"-

"I won't take any chances, Kai! We said that Goten was insignificant to us before! But while we were launching our campaign on New Namek, we sent three regiments against Goten and his friend, Trunks! We had them outnumbered fifteen hundred to one, but still they managed to eradicate our troops! It's been several months since that battle and I will not allow them to be given the chance to gain a strong foothold against us again!"-

"As you command."-

"Do you understand, Kai! With Goten gone, that means that Sneer and the rest of the party would be vulnerable to our attack. Next, take out Sneer himself. With him dead, the Alliance will fall apart and there will be no central power to keep them united. Next, kill King Mickey so that his own kingdom will fall into despair and no longer be a threat to us. Finally, you must kill Riku and Sora. As long as the key bearers are alive, there is a slight chance for them to be able to interfere with our planning. I intend to see that something like that will never happen so long as I am in command!"-

"What about the others?" asked General Ameba. "Lu Xun, Cuchulain, Leonhart and Yuffie? Are we just to drop concerns for them!"

"They are nothing to fear. Lu Xun hasn't fully perfected his fighting skills and Cuchulain, due to his gess, he can't be awoken by anyone except himself. Not much to fear from someone who can't even control the full power of the rage without becoming evil himself. As for Leonhart and Yuffie, I know that they won't pose any threat."-

"Then I shall lead our forces to find them. I will terrorize the inhabitants of this town and force them to tell us the whereabouts of these rebels." said Kai.

"Terrorize them! Terrorize them well!" chuckled Arakis. "Once you have taken care of this little issue, you and the rest may join us back in Vandor. Until then, we take our leave." Then he, Lu Bu, and General Ameba began to hover into the air. "If I had my way, I would prefer you over your teacher any day. At least you're not the type who would turn his sword against his colors."

"I live only to obey the Three Excellencies! And no love for a teacher shall stand in the way of that." replied Kai.

"Very good."-

At that moment, the three commanders flew into the night sky and out of sight, leaving General Kai and one thousand well trained swordsmen to fulfill the task. General Kai turned to his men.

"I want the units to spread into three branches. Three companies will search the third district, another three companies will search the first district, and I want the remaining four companies to remain here and search the second district." he ordered. "I don't care how you look for them. Terrorize the people if necessary, do anything that will accomplish our mission."

"Sir!" the regiment shouted in unison. They then split into three separate forces and began their search for the rebels.

Meanwhile, Sneer and the others could only watch helplessly as the Imperial troops were deployed to find them out.

"We have to do something." said Goten. "If we don't act now, innocent people will get involved and who knows what those Imperials will do to them."

"That's what I plan on doing." Sneer replied. He turned to the others. "Here's our battle plan. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy will fend of the Imperial troops who attack the first district. Leon, Yuffie, and Lu Xun will fight the forces in the third district. I will return to the house and watch after Cuchulain. And Goten, Riku, and Sora will attack the Imperial forces here in the second district." He gazed at the determined faces of each fighter. "Do you understand your assignments?"

"Yes!" they cried in unison.

"Then let's go!" With that, the small group split into three and went to their own destinations.

As the parties split up, it wasn't long before the Imperial forces had spotted them. Ten Imperial troops were walking towards the doors leading to the third district when they saw the party split.

"There they are!" shouted one soldier. Immediately, the other soldiers rallied to the cry.

"That didn't take too long to find us." said Goten. He turned to the Sneer. "We'll take it from here. You guys get to the third district and fend off the Imperials there."

"Right!" replied Sneer. He and the defenders of the third district entered through the doors while Goten, Riku, and Sora drew their blades, ready to fight.

"Alright! Let's go for it!" said Goten.

"Yeah!" cried Riku and Sora in unison. The three cried out as they charged towards their foe. The Imperials drew their blades and attacked as well. However, as the two sides collided, Goten swooped over their heads and slashed about wildly, cutting down seven of the ten attackers. Riku thrust his sword slashing at the throats of two others, while Sora lunged forward, piercing his attacker against a wall. Blood spurted from the wound and sprayed into Sora's face. The Imperial lay dead at his feet. Sora looked at his blade which was covered in blood.

"I never would have thought that I'd spill blood like this." he thought. "How could I have just taken life like that." But Riku put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's alright." said Riku. "We had no choice."

"These are clones." Goten explained, pulling off five helmets from the dead soldiers. "They were all copied from one entity. They have no souls, or free will of their own. They only know how to kill. They have no life of their own."

"I guess you're right." said Sora. But only a moment after, they heard feet running in their direction. Just then, from the plaza, there emerged fifty more Imperial troops. Each drew his sword to fight the three warriors.

"Kill them!" shouted one soldier. Ten attacked the three, with their blades stretched out before them.

"There's no reason to hold back here." said Goten. "Let's fight them off!"

With that, the three charged into the fray of the battle. Instantly, the ten Imperials were struck down and the others found themselves confronted by these three ferocious youths. They charged into the thick of the Imperial line and slashed about at their enemies. Sometimes, the imperials would have them surrounded and ten soldiers would attack each individual warrior at the same time, slashing with their words.

Sora thrust and jabbed amongst the ranks and easily dispensed with fifteen soldiers. He slashed about at one opponent and kicked him aside.

"Is that all you have!" he cried, punching his attacker out. "Come on!"

Just then, an Imperial trooper attacked from behind, attempting to slash him in the back, but Riku jumper in and slew the soldier.

"Damn it, Sora!" Riku scolded. "You're too far out! When will you ever learn!"

"Sorry!" replied Sora.

"Well, it's not as if anyone could hold you back from a fight. I should know. I'm the same way."-

"Then, let's keep at it. Come on!" The two attacked the Imperials who now surrounded them. "Let's show these guys just how skilled we are at using swords!"-

"We'll send them packing, back to where they came from!"-

"We are the only targets they should be focusing on!" shouted Goten. "We must protect the inhabitants of this town! Casualties should only number down to just ourselves!"

"I understand." Sora replied. "Then if we must die, we'll die fighting. And under these circumstances, we're gonna have to." The three soon found themselves surrounded by hundreds of Imperial troops who now held their blades against them. They formed a solid wall of swords around the three warriors.

"How do you propose we get out of this one?" asked Riku.

"There are certainly a lot of them." Sora agreed. "I think we're gonna die."

"Shut up, Sora."-

"This is merely child's play for someone like me though." chuckled Goten. He suddenly began to power up, crossing his arms in front of him. There was a sudden wind resonating around him. "Riku, Sora? If I were you, I'd lay flat on my belly and take cover!"

"Oh boy!" said Riku. "Sora! Duck and cover!" The two boys dropped to the ground as Goten began to concentrate it from within.

All of a sudden with an ear-piercing cry, Goten released a powerful sonic boom of energy which blew away every soldier that surrounded him. Within a period of seconds, every soldier had been slain and their bodies now scattered throughout the second district. Goten put down his arms and cracked his knuckles together. Riku and Sora stood up and looked at their comrade in awe.

"What was that?" asked Sora.

"More over, how did you do that?" added Riku.

"That was a sonic boom which I created when I concentrated my energy at a single point." Goten explained. "When you learn how to manipulate your energy that way, you'd be able to perform powerful attacks like that. Of course, being of Saiyan descent, it comes naturally to me."

"Do you think I could learn something like that?" asked Sora.

"Yes, you can. If you know the basic fundamentals, you can accomplish anything with chi."-

"Chi?" asked Riku. "What's that?"

"The inner energy that accumulates from your body. You might say it's the very source of spiritual strength. And spiritual strength is the greatest of all. It determines your will to continue with whatever you wish to accomplish, no matter how big the challenge."

All of a sudden, there was clapping coming from over the gizmo shop. The three looked to see a dark figure sitting on the edge of the roof. It was none other than General Kai himself.

"Brilliantly stated, my friend." he chuckled. "Brilliantly stated. I see that you have managed to dispose with all four hundred swordsmen in this district. I commend you." Kai hovered down to the plaza. "However, once again you have encountered yet another dilemma. Instead of four hundred weak soldiers, you confront the most powerful of the seven Dragon Ninjas. I, General Kai of the Cavendish Shinobis!"

"You wish to meet the same fate as your men?" said Goten. "If that is what you want, then I will gladly see it granted! We will not allow you to harass these people any further! You wanted us, so here we are!" The three drew their blades.

"You talk too much for your own good. First of all, you came to me. Therefore, the fate of the Traverse Town populous is irrelevant to me. And harassing them would be the last thing on my mind. And finally, I could care less about Riku and Sora, if they were to live, or die, either now or later. The only concern I have is you, Son Goten. You are the only real threat out of the three. Master Arakis has given me strict orders to take you out first. And to abide by His Excellency's wishes I will do." Kai pulled out what looked like an iron tusk, with the shaft shaped in the form of an octagon. He then took his stance with the club slightly lowered. It was this particular stance that struck Goten with a sense of Deja Vous.

"That stance." he thought to himself. "I've seen it before. It's a defensive stance used so that one can fight multiple opponents at the same time. Therefore, he will expect us to attack first."

"Let us begin!" shouted Kai.

"Then, let's have at it then!" cried Sora, as he was the first to attack.

"No! Sora come back!" shouted Goten. "That's exactly what he wants!" But it was too late, Sora attempted to strike with a slash attack, but Kai only dodged forcing Sora to pass by him. He swung around and cracked his club only Sora's shoulder. Sora fell to the ground in agony.

"Sora!" cried Riku. "Damn you! You'll pay for that!" He charged at Kai.

"Riku, wait!" said Goten. But Riku had already attempted to slash at Kai. The general ducked again as he did with Sora. He threw his club around from behind him and cracked Riku on the shoulder. Riku fell to the ground, the blow had fractured his left shoulder. Kai stood to face Goten again.

"Well, that's two down and one to go." he chuckled. "I guess your friends were too confident."

"You won't get away with that!" shouted Goten.

"I already have!"-

Goten powered up and fired an energy beam at Kai, the general only deflected it away. He shook his hand about and formed a fist again.

"Most impressive." chuckled Kai. "I never would have thought that you could shake my hand up like that." Kai himself began to power up. "Let me show you a few tricks of my own. And you will soon realize why they call me the Master of the Seven Elemental Arts!" Kai thrust his iron club into the ground.

"WAN RAI DINN!" Through the ground came a powerful electrical surge which struck Goten with a million volts. Goten was thrown back, hitting and breaking the mural of the plaza fountain. He slowly rose up to see General Kai coming towards him.

"What do you think?" asked Kai. "Impressive wouldn't you say?"

"I've seen better." replied Goten. Kai filled with a slight rage.

"Such insolence! I will teach you some respect and you will respect me properly!"-

"But I am showing you proper respect, Kai!" Goten powered into his Super Saiyan form. "NONE!"

Goten lunged forth with his sword drawn. But Kai thrust his hand in front of him and deployed another attack.

"WAN RAI SHEN!" This time a ball of ice came at Goten. Goten was struck again and was now trapped in a suit of ice.

"You are too reckless, Goten." chuckled Kai. "You thought that I'd be an easy opponent? Well, now you'll think different!" Kai raised his weapon in the air, ready to strike a blow to the head.

Suddenly, there was a sudden burst of energy coming from behind him. Kai turned to see Sora lunging at him with his sword. Kai only dodged the thrust and slammed his club onto Sora's blade. The moment steel and iron collided, Sora's sword was shattered into to pieces. He fell to the ground. As he tried to stand, Kai threw his foot on his face and pressed him down into the cement.

"I thought you would have learned by now, boy!" said Kai. "You stand no chance against a warrior of my caliber. Why bother trying to make a difference when you know all your efforts are in vain?"

"I... won't let..you win." Sora uttered. Blood dripped down his face from a cut made by the impact of Kai's boot upon his face.

"How dare you be so arrogant! I'll show you!" Kai dug his foot into Sora's face and the young warrior cried out in pain.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Goten.

"Silence!" chuckled Kai. "You are in no position to tell me what to do!"

"He may not be, but I am!" shouted a voice. Kai looked to see Riku coming at him at an extraordinary speed. Riku leaped up and made a down slash attack upon Kai, but the general only threw out his baton in front of him and blocked the impact. He then thrust forth his fist and slammed his knuckles into Riku's gut. Riku fell to the ground in agony. He tried to stand, but Kai, taking his attention off of both Sora and Goten, grabbed him by the throat and threw smashed his head against the pavement. Blood seeped from the wound at the back of Riku's head. Kai hovered over the youth, strangling him by the throat. Riku grasped at Kai's arm, attempting to free himself, but Kai had a firm grip on him.

"I guess you'll be the first to go after all!" said Kai. "I'll strangle the life out of you!" Riku gagged as Kai's grip tightened around his throat. He could feel himself getting heavier and slowly lost consciousness. Kai then picked the young warrior up and held him in the air by the throat, with Riku's feet kicking about. "For the attempt on my life, I will see you dead!"

"Riku..." Sora uttered. "Riku...no."

"Sora!" cried Riku. "Get...out of here."

"No! I won't leave you!" Sora picked up Riku's sword and stood ready to fight Kai. The general turned about to face him, Riku still dangling from his hand.

"Not enough pain, eh?" said General Kai, angrily. "Well, don't worry! I'll make sure to give you more of it since you seem such a glutton for torture!"

"I won't let you hurt my friend!" shouted Sora.

"And what do you plan to do about it!" Kai tightened his grip around Riku's throat and Riku cried out, gagging and choking in the hands of the ninja. Sora grew angry and gripped his sword even tighter.

"Stop it! Let Riku go!"-

"No, I won't be doing that." he tightened his grip even more. Eventually, Riku stopped kicking and hung lifeless in Kai's hold.

"I SAID STOP IT! LEAVE RIKU ALONE, YOU BASTARD!" Sora attacked with all he had, but General Kai threw Riku's lifeless body at Sora. Sora was struck and the two fell to the ground unconscious.

"Now that those two nuisances are out of the way, I can finish with what I was doing." said Kai. But as he turned towards Goten, he saw that Goten was powering up even more. By now, because of what Kai had done to Riku and Sora, Goten now filled with a great and terrible rage.

"I will never forgive you for what you've done!" shouted Goten. At that moment, an incredible burst of energy broke Goten's icy prison. Goten lunged forth and slugged Kai in the gut. The general fell back, but the Z fighter again attacked, punching him in the face multiple times. He kicked Kai in the air, forcing the Imperial to fly into the sky. Goten lunged again for the final blow, but Kai regained his stamina and counterattacked, kicking Goten in the face. The youth arched back, but was knocked to the ground a second time. Goten lie on the ground, blood fell down the sides of his mouth and on a small cut on his forehead.

"You will pay!" said General Kai. He thrust down two icicles that pierced through both of Goten's shoulders, locking him to the ground. He raved in agony as the blood spilled from the holes in his arms. Kai landed upon Goten's chest, breaking his rib cage. Goten cried out in pain as blood spilled from his mouth even more. Kai once again picked up his iron baton and held it over his head. "This time, Goten, I will beat your head to a pulp until no one can recognize your face! For this offense against me, I will see you dead!"

Kai swung his club down attempting to strike the young Saiyan, but from out of nowhere another figure attacked, cutting the baton in half. Kai looked to see his severed weapon. He turned to see this new face. There stood a warrior dressed in a black Imperial uniform. His sword gleamed in the night air. A warrior as young, fair, and identical to Goten.

"It's you." said General Kai, surprised. "Lord Lucien Exmortus Thundro!"

"So we meet again, Kai." said Thundro. "Still as ruthless and reckless as ever."

"Why do you stand against the Empire! Are you not loyal to Lord Cavendish!"-

"I pledge my loyalty to the Empire! But now because of the corruption of the old code, because of Master Cavendish's continuous thirst for conquest, because of my lost past which he had hidden from me. And because Lord Cavendish no longer has high regards for honor towards his enemy, I have realized that I have been fighting on the wrong side!"-

"You dare stand against the Empire. Therefore, you are my enemy. Despite the fact that I am also your former pupil!"-

"I have found a new pupil who knows what's right and what's wrong! And I will not allow you to take his life!" Thundro pointed his sword at the shinobi. "I suggest that you withdraw. You are outmatched here."-

Kai sneered and lowered his severed weapon. He flew off into the darkness.

"This isn't over yet, Thundro! Your insurrection will not go unpunished! I give you my word!" With that, Kai vanished into the darkness of the night sky.

Meanwhile, Goten had managed free himself from the icicles lodged in his shoulders and picked himself up, using his sword as a crutch. Blood rushed from his mouth as he slowly stood. He gazed into the face that was all too familiar to him.

"So...you found me...after all...Master." Goten uttered. Thundro looked at him, fire burning hot in his eyes. He walked up to Goten and slapped him in the face. Goten, bewildered at what had happened just then, gazed at his teacher humbly.

"I thought I taught you better, Goten!" said Thundro, angrily. "There is always a counterattack to different fighting positions! And despite what I have done, you still don't know how to deploy the knowledge you have gained, correctly."

"I'm sorry." Thundro sheathed his sword and placed his hand on Goten's shoulder. Goten began to resonate and within seconds, he had been fully healed and his clothing had been restored to their original state.

"It's a good thing that I got here in time. Otherwise, you would have met a sorry end at the hands of my former apprentice!"-

"But why side with me?" asked Goten. "Kai was your pupil too, but you also pledged loyalty to the empire. Why fight for my sake?"

"Because, no matter how stupid and pathetic you are, there is something about you that I find fascinating. I know that there is still a hidden potential within you and I mean to unlock it. I have not yet had an apprentice who's hidden potentials I haven't unlocked."-

"Thanks." It was then that Goten remembered about Sora and Riku. "Oh, I forgot about Riku and Sora!" He rushed to their sides. Sora had managed to sit up and was holding Riku, who was still unconscious, in his arms.

"Riku! Riku!" Sora cried, his eyes moist with tears. "Speak to me! Please speak to me!" But no matter what he did, Riku did not move. Goten knelt by him and checked for a pulse. There was still a beat in his veins.

"Don't worry, Sora. Riku's still alive."-

"Let me handle this!" said Thundro. He placed his hand over the two and healed their wounds. Riku slowly opened his eyes and looked about.

"Sora?" he muttered. He slowly sat up and shook his head, banishing his grogginess. "What happened? Did we win?"

"We certainly did." said Goten. "Thanks to Master Thundro." But Thundro had already stood up and was standing in the middle of the plaza.

"Thank you." said Sora.

"I didn't heal you because I have sympathy for you." said Thundro. "I healed you because I know you have hidden potential within you and I will not allow you to die without first seeing the full extent of your powers!"

"Our powers?" asked Riku. Thundro turned and the two key bearers soon realized that he was an Imperial as well.

"You're an Imperial!" said Sora. Riku and he quickly stood and made ready to fight, but both of their swords had been damaged. Sora's had been severed in half and Riku's was frayed, making his sword not suited to cut even peanut butter.

"Yes, I am an Imperial. And my loyalty remains with the empire, but I do not approve of the path that she is taking now. I was hoping for the chaos to end and it still continues. I had a past which I was unaware of and they hid it from me all these years. That's why I have my own reason to hate those who run the Empire. But despite that, I will not defect to the Alliance, for they have been my enemy for the passed ten millennia. I now only fight to find my own truth. And hopefully, I can get an answer." Thundro approached the two boys, but they still held their damaged blades in ready. "Now you don't really intend to fight me with those mangled blades do you?"

"If we must, we will." said Riku.

"Even if you did fight me, your skills would be no match for me! Besides, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already!" Thundro turned to Goten and turned away without saying a word.

"Where are you going?" asked Goten.

"I have my own plans to sort out!" said Thundro. "As for the two key bearers, meet me at the main gates of Traverse Town." With that, Thundro flew off into the starry night, leaving no trace of energy to be detected.

"I don't get it." said Sora. "That guy's a lord of the Dark Empire, but he doesn't fight for them anymore. And yet he doesn't want to side with us?"

"What's his motivation?" asked Riku. "You've known him longer, Goten. What is his motivation?"

"Not much is known about Thundro." Goten explained. "Even I don't know much about him. I think deep in his heart, Thundro is trying to find the answer for himself. For the passed ten thousand years he has fought and killed for the glory of the Dark Empire, but now he begins to question the order. I think it's best for him to take that course so that he can find the truth for himself."

At that moment, Lu Xun ran through the doors from the first district. He ran up to the three warriors and looked around as he approached them, gazing upon the four hundred slain Imperials.

"I see you three managed to hold your own." he said. "Did you have much trouble?"

"More or less, Lu Xun." replied Goten. "They put up one hell of a fight."

"I just came to say that districts one and three have been secured without any casualties. But Sneer wants us assembled back at the house in district three. He has important assignments for us."-

"Right."-

The four followed Lu Xun back to the house where the others were waiting. As they entered the door, the were welcomed warmly.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Yuffie.

"We're fine for now." replied Riku. "But I don't think the Dark Empire will give us a moments rest if they mean to eliminate us."

"That's why I have conjured up a strategy for us." said Sneer. "This is what I plan on doing. We will first use Traverse Town as our regional outpost, where we will conduct our meetings. Thus, I need several of you to stay and watch over the place while the rest of us are gone. Leon, Yuffie, and Cuchulain will stay here and watch over the town in our absence. I know you're good enough for the job and I know you won't fail me."

"We understand." said Leon. Sneer continued with his strategy.

"I am needed back at Oceansburg to conduct the deployment of military engagements against the empire and Lu Xun and Goten will be coming with me. Therefore, I need Riku, Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to patrol all the worlds and see if you can hold off the Dark Empire's advance."

"We understand." said Mickey.

"Wait a minute here!" Riku interrupted. "I didn't think that we'd get dragged into this anymore than we had to! The only reason why Sora and I decided to help you is because we have to get Kairi back! She was kidnapped by the Dark Empire and we need to rescue her!"

"I understand that," said Sneer, "but right now, preventing the empire's legions from expanding throughout the dimensional realms is our number one priority."

"No! Finding Kairi is our number one priority!"-

"Riku, please." said Sora, trying to calm him down.

"While we're standing here talking about what we should do, Kairi's probably being tortured, or even worse! I won't just remain idle and not do a thing to help her!" Riku reached for the door and was ready to twist the knob.

"Where are you going?" asked Sneer.

"What does it look like." said Riku. "I'm going to get Kairi back!"

"And what do you plan on doing first?"-

"I'll think of something!"-

"And where would you start, eh? There are millions of separate worlds out there and you intend to search every one of them?"-

"If that's what if takes, yes!"-

"Riku! Calm down!" said Sora, rushing over to his friend. He placed his hands of Riku's shoulders and looked into his friends pale green eyes. "I want to find and rescue Kairi just as much as you do, Riku! But storming off in anger won't help! Now you know what we're dealing with here! You know how powerful these foes are! You saw what Kai did to us! He took us down without breaking a sweat! And if he's just a mere subordinate, can you imagine how powerful the others are! We have to think this through!" Riku looked in to Sora's blue eyes and started to calm himself.

"Sora's right, Riku." said Sneer. "If you go directly for Kairi, the Imperial forces would have already taken over several hundred other worlds. And then where would we be! We would be put at a slight disadvantage!" Riku looked down to his feet in shame, not daring to look at anyone in the face. "Besides, if there is one person who knows about the location of Kairi, it would be Lord Arakis. Find Arakis and you will find Kairi."

"Where do I find Arakis?" asked Riku.

"It's not going to be all that easy. Arakis moves around like a phantom. His whereabouts are unknown at times. The only ones who know his exact location are the seven members of the Cavendish Shinobis. Each one carries a piece of the information. You must find the seven members in order to receive all the pieces of the puzzle."-

"How do you know this?" asked Sora.

"We've received word from an anonymous tip that Arakis plans to see how well you do when it comes to tracking down your friends."-

"Is this some kind of sick game to him?" said Riku, angrily. "He breaks us apart only to see if we can find each other again!"

"I believe in most ways, he wants to test not only your mental and physical stamina, but he also wants to see if you will take any means necessary to find your friend as well as your endurance to confront his forces for the sake of a companion." Lu Xun hypothesized.

"What I think he is really trying to do is break you apart." said Sneer. "Arakis knows of your passed adventures when you fought the Heartless and how you were separated by light and darkness. So, he may plan to split up your friendship."

"Well, I won't give him the luxury of ever doing something like that." said Riku.

"Nevertheless! It's best that you take no chances! Whatever choice you make, make sure that one of you is willing to give in to the others idea. That's the only way I know how you can stay together!" Sneer walked to the window and gazed into the starry night. "The Cavendish Shinobis each have a piece of the puzzle. Each piece you collect will get you closer to Kairi."

"But how will we find them?" asked Sora. "They could be in any world right?"

"That's right." Sneer continued. "You have no idea where to start do you? Well, luckily my anonymous source made sure not to leave out any vital detail. He has already given me the whereabouts of one of the Dragon Ninjas. He has been assigned to take over the dimensional realm which we have codenamed "Zi." Reach that realm, restore the order, defeat the ninja in charge, and gain a new bit of information to help track down Arakis and Kairi. If you can manage to defeat all seven members of the Cavendish Shinobis, you not only would have gained all seven pieces of the puzzle, but you would have also stopped the expansion of the Imperial forces into other worlds."

"But once we defeat that one, where do we find the others?"-

"Each shinobi has their own bit of information on the location of one of the other shinobis in order to maintain knowledge of their whereabouts." Sneer put on his gloves and opened the door. "Well, enough has been said. We must depart now before the empire is given the opportunity to deploy their forces."

"Understood." said Leon. "Then you better be off. Yuffie, Cuchulain and I should be alright."

Just then, the company heard a loud yawn from within the room. As they turned, they saw Cuchulain sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked up as his allies.

"Hey, guys." he uttered. "Did I miss anything?" The entire company was struck, dumbfounded.

"Leon, Yuffie! We have to go!" said Sneer. "I leave you to explain everything to Mr. Snoozer over there!"


	4. Knowledge of a Foe

Knowledge of a Foe

The party now departed, going to their separate destinations. Sneer, Lu Xun, and Goten bid their farewell and departed back to Oceansburg, the capital city of the Universal Alliance. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy went off to have their gummy ship repaired and resupplied.

"It would only take about fifteen minutes." Mickey implied before he left. Thus, Riku and Sora were left to wait. The two stood by the gates, awaiting their comrades to retrieve them. Sora leaned against the wall.

"Once again, we go on another quest to find our dearest friend." he uttered.

"Damn that Arakis!" said Riku. "It's because of him and his scummy organization that Kairi was taken from us. He'll pay dearly for what he's done."

"Perhaps it is because of your own failure that your friend was taken from you." a voice suddenly rang out.

"Who's there?" asked Sora. Then, from out of the shadows, appeared a very familiar individual.

"Lord Thundro." said Riku. "What are you doing here?"

"You decided to listen to my advice didn't you."-

"What is it that you want?"-

"I have come to help you out, my friends."-

"You!" Riku scoffed again. "You're an Imperial! How do we know you're worth trusting!"

"Despite all that I've done for you and your friends, you still dare to show such disrespect!" chuckled Thundro. "Well, if I encountered a man dressed in an Imperial uniform, I'd probably react the same way. You say if you can trust me, or not. But I say, you have no other choice in the matter because I'm the only one who can help you. Who do you think gave you all that knowledge about the Cavendish Shinobis?"

"You." said Sora. "You were the anonymous source which gave Sneer all that information."

"What's your motivation anyway?" asked Riku. "You're a top lord of the Dark Empire. Yet you betray them by giving us information. But as the same time, you don't want to fight for our cause either. What are you after?"

"I do this so that I can find my own identity." said Thundro. "Perhaps you don't realize it, but there is more to my motive than meets the eye. Can you imagine living for ten thousand years and realize that you are not who you think you are? For that extensive period of time, I was taught the ways of the empire. I was raised to serve, fight and die for her glory. I would give my life to her without question. However, what I didn't realize was that I was not one of a kind. I had in fact been someone else in a different life. The Dark Empire concealed my lost past, hoping that I would never look for the truth." Thundro walked just a few feet outside the gate and looked at the stars in the clear night sky. "I am a clone. A clone of a warrior who's been long since dead and is still alive to this day. I am the opposite of the young warrior who fought alongside you against General Kai."

"What?" the two youths said.

"You mean you're Goten's clone?" asked Sora. "So is Goten even older than you?"

"The Goten that you met was not the same Goten. The one which I was cloned from came from a different time. I shall tell you the story." Thundro began to reveal what had occurred ten millennia ago. "What happened was that Goku, Goten's father, had been seduced by a great evil and went on a rampage of death and destruction. He had found his way back through time, to when the Empire was still young. And when Goku entered the space-time continuum, so did Goten and a few other members of the Z team. In the fight against this evil Goku, all the Z fighters who tried to stop him, including Goten, were killed. But because of our talent, Lord Arakis, who also happens to be the ancestor of Goku and Goten, took it within his power to take genetic samples from the bodies of the some of the slain Z fighters and clone them into an elite fighting task force. Therefore, I have come to be because of that. I was brainwashed to think that everyone who opposed the empire was evil. But because we took on the task of killing so many just to expand our influence as well as our borders, I started to think that we were taking this too far. That we were murdering billions for no other reason than to eliminate the possible threats to the empire. When I stumbled upon top secret documents regarding my past and found out that I was merely a clone of someone else, I began to question if this was what I was really supposed to be. At the same time, I wanted all this to end so that I could see the Dark Empire at the pinnacle of its peak. But I began to notice that many of the top lords of the Empire began to discard with the old traditional codes of honor. The very codes that made the empire unique. Lord Cavendish was amongst them. It angered me enough to see that my comrades were tossing out the old way which I had deemed sacred and a way of life, but when Lord Cavendish decided to expand further into other dimensional realms, when I was hoping that it was enough, I made my decision that I could no longer return to the Dark Empire. She was no longer the empire of my birth. And because I have turned my sword against the empire, I can no longer return to her ranks. For I know the penalty for traitors. The events of this night have made that clear."

"We had no idea." said Sora.

"I've carried off the subject for too long. The reason why I meet you like this is because I have something for both of you." Thundro reached into his pocket and took out what looked like a machine capsule with a number two on it. "This is a capsule which contains your new wardrobe. If you intend to enter Imperial territory, it's best that you disguise yourselves so that you may appear and disappear at will. Shadows are mush harder to detect when in darkness." He handed it to Riku. "Your wardrobes have your names so you won't get either mixed up."

"We appreciate this." said Riku.

"How can we repay you?" asked Sora.

"Simply by preventing the Empire from further expanding into other realms." Thundro replied. "And these are also for you. I thought that I'd hand them over to you myself. It is a tradition, by the old Imperial code of honor, to do so." Thundro reached from behind him and handed each youth a sword. The swords' hilts were gold plated and placed in black sheaths. "I don't think you can go into battle without a weapon. These are Imperial fencing katanas. The strongest in the universe."

Sora took the sword out of his sheath. The blade was bright, glimmering like a mirror, reflecting the bright lights of the stars. Riku unsheathed his and found an inscription upon the base of the blade, embedded with gold. The words were:

_"Maldarf Selorian Volck Stun Veri Maya"_

Honor and strength lead to one's victory and truth.

"Consider this an honor from me." said Thundro. "No one has ever been given such a rare gift. These swords take years to make, to ensure their strength and durability. So only the best of the best can receive them. To be given such a weapon is truly an honor."

"We will use these swords to their full advantage and I swear that we will take good care of them." said Riku.

"It's so light." said Sora. He gently flicked at the blade with his thumb. The blade was sharper than a razor. "And sharp."

"I'm glad that you like them so." said Thundro. "But enough with the admiration of these fine weapons. I have more pressing information regarding the seven members of the Cavendish Shinobis." The two key bearers looked up at him suddenly and gently sheathed their swords back into their scabbards.

"Tell us." said Riku. "What must we know about the Cavendish Shinobis?"

"As you know there are seven altogether. Each mastering a particular element of the seven elemental arts. First, there is Isis, master of ice. He has the capability to freeze anything rock solid. He can tolerate all cold temperatures and can accumulate ice climates to seven hundred degrees below zero. He can cause blizzards, snow storms, and is known for freezing and entire region into submission."

"Is he the weakest of the seven?" asked Sora.

"He is the weakest alright. The next in line is Horus, master of water. He can control the will of water. He is also very agile in water. So the one thing you must avoid is fighting him in an watery environment. He can create flash floods, maelstroms, tidal waves, and torrents. Horus is also known for flooding out an entire countryside, drowning all its inhabitants."-

"He doesn't seem very dangerous."-

"That's where you're wrong. He can manipulate water to travel at four hundred miles and hour. A speed that could pierce through steel if concentrated into one spot. The next member is Anubis, master of fire. He can accumulate temperatures up to six million degrees, incinerating everything he touches. At times, he can be completely unapproachable because he can withstand so much heat." Thundro leaned next to the wall, continuing his lecture. "Then comes Osiris, master of wind. Like Horus and Isis, his capabilities are based on extensive devastation. He can created hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados at an immeasurable scale. His manipulation of wind is so thorough and precise that he can even create sonic booms."

"A guy who can manipulate the very air we breathe? Scary." said Sora.

"Who's next on the list?" asked Riku.

"Then comes Caesar." Thundro continued. "He is the master of soil, like plate tectonics and seismic activity, he can cause quakes that can shake entire planets apart. He has the ability to use solid granite as projectiles. And because Caesar is also made of rock, he can merge himself into any type of rock he wants. So he can perform ambushes against his opponent at will. Then there comes Kahn. Second in command of the Cavendish Shinobis and master of the dark element. Darkness can corrupt and deteriorate any life. Therefore, Kahn knows how to manipulate darkness, using it for offensive and defensive maneuvers. He can create a think fog of darkness, concealing himself completely. Or he can use the darkness to sap energy away from his opponent. He has grasped the power of darkness so well that he has also been dubbed "The Heartless King."

"What about the last guy?" asked Riku.

"The final man who is the leader of the Cavendish Shinobis is one whom you've already encountered and fought in the second district."-

"General Kai!" said the two young warriors.

"And he is the most dangerous out of them all. He is the master of light. And we're not talking pure light, but destructive light. Electricity to say the least and bright flashes that can completely deprive a foe of their eyesight. And because he is master of light, he can travel at the speed of light, making him hard to catch. But it is not because he has mastered the power of destructive light that he is dangerous, but because he has mastered all seven elements and has learned how to combine each to make different devastating attacks. The techniques that he displayed in your previous battle are tiny compared to what you'll have to face later on."

"After what we saw, that guy must be invincible, or something." said Sora.

"He must have a weakness somewhere though." Riku added.

"He has one weakness." Thundro continued. "As ruthless as he is, Kai is also a chivalrous man and likes to test his full capabilities against a foe in a one on one fight. Declare to fight him one on one and he will accept every time. That is his single weakness, not being able to let down a one on one fight. The only thing you have to do is defeat him."

"You can't expect us to fight one on one with this guy." Sora protested. "He's too powerful even for us."

"We won't know until we try, Sora." said Riku.

"The secret behind defeating him is to learn and master as many new techniques as possible." Thundro advised. "You will learn new techniques by experiencing them for yourselves. The most important ones you must learn are those of the seven elements. When you defeat each of the Cavendish Shinobis, you would have gained more experience and learned another technique. The more you concentrate on your new techniques, the stronger you will become. So that is one of your top priorities. Gain as much battle experience as possible. Only then can you fight against Kai." It was then that the gummy ship appeared before the gates.

"Hey Riku, Sora!" cried Mickey from the cockpit. "We got to go!"

"We have to go." said Sora. "Thank you for your..." But as he soon as he turned to thank Thundro, the lord had disappeared without a trace.

"Let's move it." said Riku. "Thundro will come back."

The two boarded the gummy ship and blasted off to their destination, not knowing that the former dark lord was watching them from a rooftop spire.

"I wish you the best of luck." Thundro uttered to himself. "Let your paths guide you in the right direction, just as mine has."


	5. Isis: The Scourge of Zi

Isis: The Scourge of Zi

_The prolonged war on planet Zi is finally over. However, some antagonist continue to use powerful zoids in order to stir up renewed conflict. In response, the empire and the republic join to establish the Guardian Force. A task force with the express purpose of maintaining the peace. Van Flyheight and Fiona, along with the organoid, Zeke, dedicate themselves to insuring peace and stability for the people of planet Zi. Together, they are the Guardian Force fighters._

_-Quote by Narrator_

The result of their efforts was not as expected. The Death Stinger had managed to survive a fall from the upper atmosphere. Irvine and Thomas had managed to live through the attack from the Death Stinger's charged particle gun. Now, even though no longer in the air, the Death Stinger was still a great threat. Now it continued to walk towards the New Helic city, the capital of the Helic Republic. It was in Hiltz's agenda to totally demolish the capital. After he had fulfilled that mission, he would continue towards Gygalos, the Imperial capital of the Gylos Empire.

"Only the strong shall prosper." Hiltz thought to himself. "And with the power of the Death Stinger within my grasp, there is no one who can stand against me. And in the end, they will all curse their own impudence for daring to defy me. I will make a new world for planet Zi. The Death Stinger can withstand all. It has no weakness."

"You're wrong, boy!" shouted a voice from behind. "That contraption of yours has only one weakness!" Hiltz looked about to see where that voice came from. His sensors picked up a life source from nearby. As he focused upon who dared to defy him, he observed a man standing upon a cliffside.

"You certainly are confident to dare insult me openly." said Hiltz. "Either that, or you have lost all sense of rational thought. Don't you realize that you are but one man, while I am armed with the most powerful zoid in all of Zi."

"That's the reason why you're weak." chuckled the man. "You depend too much on the use of a weapon. Without it, you're worthless."

"Listen to yourself. You aren't in any position to be mouthing off."-

"Oh, I believe I am. Since I'm the only one who can dare defy you and that old rust bucket of yours, I can mouth off as much as I want." The last statement angered Hiltz and the man felt that sudden emotional surge. "What! Did I make you mad because I insulted your over-sized mechanical arachnid! Well, you heard me right! Against me, the Death Stinger is as useless as an old drum barrel!"

"You will regret ever spitting out those words." said Hiltz. At that moment, his charged particle gun began to charge up.

"I dare you to shoot at me!" chuckled the man. "In fact, I'll give you a free shot!"

"So be it!"-

Meanwhile, back as the republican base, Colonel Rob Herman was observing the activity to which the Death Stinger was engaged.

"It looks like Hiltz has stopped." he said. "And he's charging up his charged particle gun. What on Zi could he be thinking?"

"Sir, we have confirmed the target of the Death Stinger." said one of the operatives. He focused on the individual standing on the cliffside.

"What is that guy trying to prove?" Rob thought to himself. It was then that Thomas and Irvine entered the facility.

"Hey Herman." said Irvine. "What's going on with the Death Stinger?"

"It seems as if a lone individual has decided to oppose the Death Stinger." he replied. "For some reason, Hiltz has stopped to converse with this guy."

"What can this guy be up to?" asked Thomas. "And what would urge him to face the Death Stinger without a zoid?"

"That's the thing. He's openly attacking Hiltz."-

"Where's Van?" asked Irvine.

"He's still fighting Reese and the blue Genosaur."-

"Well, whoever this guy is, at least he's stalling some time for us to think of a plan to counter attack."-

"Now you will die!" shouted Hiltz. A mighty blast bellowed forth from the charged particle gun. The impact of the beam caused a massive explosion three miles long and its sound waves echoed throughout Zi. Great puffs of smoke and ash bellowed into the air making the horizon dark and ominous. Hiltz scanned the area of impact and found no trace of life. "Fool. What was he thinking? The Death Stinger has no weakness whatsoever. Well, now that that little problem is out of the way, I shall continue on to the republican capital."

However, as he turned a course towards the capital of the republic, that same chuckle began to echo from the fading clouds. Hiltz turned to see the man still standing there.

"I told you the Death Stinger was useless!" he bellowed.

"It can't be. How could he have survived that attack?"-

Meanwhile, back at the republican base, Colonel Herman and the others present could not believe what they had seen. The man had lived through the attack from the charged particle gun.

"That's impossible." said Herman. "That guy actually survived."

"But is that possible?" asked Thomas

"I don't think so." replied Irvine. "Everything before was literally vaporized from an attack from the Death Stinger's charged particle gun. How could that guy survive such an impact?"

"Must I make myself clear twice?" said the man. "I guess I'd have to reiterate several times in order to crack through a head as thick as yours."

"You're just trying to save your hide with tricks." said Hiltz. "There's no way that anyone could have survived that attack. I'll make sure not to miss this time."

"I would suggest you stand down. There's no need for you to throw your life away needlessly." The particle gun on the Death Stinger charged to its maximum status.

"It's you who should be worried about throwing your life away needlessly."-

"I go out of my way of warn you, then you turn around and mock me! Well, I'll just have to prove my point in a different matter!"-

"DIE!" shouted Hiltz as a second beam bellowed forth from the Death Stinger. The beam came ever closer to the man. But as the energy beam's distance narrowed, the man on the cliff suddenly twisted his body in a striking motion and flung his hand into the beam. The beam of the charged particle gun was blocked. Immediately after contact, the man deflected the giant beam into the midst of space. As the smoke cleared, the reaction upon Zi who had witnessed this foot of strength were in utter shock.

Back at the republican base, Herman and the others could not believe what they just saw on the screen.

"Tell me I didn't just see that guy deflect the energy from the Death Stinger's charged particle gun." said Irvine.

"No." replied Thomas. "That's exactly how I saw it too."

"But the chances of someone doing that is impossible." said Herman. "There's no way in hell that anyone could have done something like that."

"Well, I sure hope that this guy's on our side."-

"How can this be?" Hiltz thought to himself. "He actually deflected the beam of the charged particle gun. But performing a foot like that is unlikely. How could he have managed to succeed where everyone else had failed?"

"I can see that you've broken out in a cold sweat, boy." chuckled the man. "What made the Death Stinger deadly was its charged particle gun. With that weapon, you were the most feared in all of Zi. But now that I have rendered the power of your charged particle gun useless, you feel as helpless as a new born babe." Just then, the man began to accumulate what looked like a giant ball of ice over his head. Hiltz couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Let me show you what true power is."

"How is he doing that?" said Hiltz. "How can someone be able to make ice appear like that? Is it some form of magic?"

"This is a little present for you! And you can have it! Iceberg Blitz" The man threw the massive ball of ice directly at the Death Stinger. Hiltz quickly charged up the beam cannon and fired away with an immense blast of energy. But the ice was so condensed, it deflected the beam off course and continued to draw nearer to its target. This great ball of ice struck the Death Stinger, within seconds. The ball exploded and caused what looked like a blanket of ice to completely entomb and immobilize the Death Stinger. A small crack had formed in its surface. As the temperature dropped, growing colder and colder, with the Death Stingers six thousand degree heat signature conflicting with the decrease, the armor was stressed to the breaking point and began to form cracks in the Death Stinger's armor. Within seconds, the cockpit of the Death Stinger began to chill into solid ice.

"AMBIENT!" cried Hiltz. From out of the blue, his red organoid appeared and dove into the Death Stinger. As soon as the Death Stinger turned to solid ice and began to crumble, Hiltz and Ambient emerged back into the heat of the desert.

"Nice try, but you die today." chuckled the man. He suddenly flew through the air at incredible speed, confronting Hiltz and his organoid face to face. "I told you the Death Stinger had one true weakness. The pilot himself is mortal." The man suddenly threw a sharp icicle at the red organoid. Ambient was struck in the throat, the icicle piercing straight through his metal skin. The organoid fell lifeless to the ground.

"Ambient! No!" cried Hiltz as he fell with his slain organoid, but he was suddenly held by the throat by some invisible force. He could only watch as the corpse of his faithful organoid slammed into the ground, causing a cloud of dust to bellow into the sky.

"And now you die!" said the man.

"You...monster." uttered Hiltz. "How...could you...do that?"

"Monster? I'm sure you should know all about monsters since you were one yourself, going on a killing spree throughout Zi. Well, your time has been spent. I shall take over the chaos from now on." The man pointed his index finger straight at Hiltz's stomach.

"Who are...you?" uttered Hiltz.

"Though it matters little to you now, I guess it wouldn't hurt." chuckled the man. "My name is Isis! Seventh member of the Cavendish Shinobis!" With that, another icicle burst forward and impaled Hiltz through the gut. Hiltz grew lifeless in the hands of Isis and the ninja released his victim, allowing him to fall freely from a thousand feet in the air.

At the same time, at the republican base, Herman and the others couldn't believe what they had witnessed.

"Dear God!" said Herman. "Did you see that?"

"That guy defeated and destroyed the Death Stinger as if it were nothing." added Irvine.

But as Isis turned to confront his next opponent, he made his message clear that he was indeed not an ally. He gazed upon the landscape of Zi and with one breath he blew a sheet of ice across the land. The sheet ran for miles and towns and villages in the path of the sudden chill were instantly frozen. The observers in the base now knew for a fact that this so called savior of Zi was no savior at all.

"He's definitely not an ally." said Thomas. "What do we do?"

"If the Death Stinger was no match," said Herman, "what could we do against him?"

"Furthermore," added Irvine, "How could a guy like him be able to obtain skills like that. He didn't use any weapons whatsoever. He only used his own strength. Someone being able to do something like that is impossible."

"What should we do?" asked Thomas.

"We'll have to observe him thoroughly and hope that he doesn't go on a rampage like Hiltz did." Herman replied. "All we can do right now is wait."

However, to their surprise, Isis did not stand still. Instead the ninja went on his way to eliminate his next target.

"I sense three greater powers." they heard him say. "Two of them seem to be exchanging blows in one area. The other seems to be remote at the moment. They're not moving. Then, that's where I shall go. I leave the other two to battle it out. Then, I'll slay the winner. It'll save me a great deal of effort." With that, Isis began his trek to hunt down the lone power.

"Who's he heading for?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know." replied Herman.

"He said that there were two in combat." Irvine added. "He must have been talking about Van and Reese who are still fighting each other."

"Then who is the one he's after right now?" asked Thomas. It was then they realized who it was that had the other significant power.

"It's Raven!" the three said in unison.

"I take it that he's the next target." said Herman. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope nothing happens to him."

In the dim light of the setting sun, amongst the dusty furniture of his long ago home, Raven sat in thought. His mind filled with thoughts of the past and how it affected his life forever. He remembered the day when his parents were killed by the black organoid. He recalled years later when he tamed that same murderous organoid and named him Shadow. He remembered the days when he and Shadow would battle opponent after opponent and always emerge victorious. And he looked back to the very recent hours when Shadow lost his life in battle.

"They say that journeys end where they began." Raven thought to himself. "Well, this is where it all began." A chain of memories went rushing into his mind and the young man could only curl up in sadness. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he had realized now that he was all alone with no one to comfort him. "I don't want to be alone again."

"Oh, but alone is what you always desired is it not?" chuckled a voice from out of the darkness. Raven stood up and peered into the shadows.

"Who's there?" he said. "Show yourself!"

From the dim shadows into the dim light which seeped through the open window, a figure emerged. It was none other than Isis.

"So you must be the pilot of that massive red zoid outside." he said. "You must be weak then, to depend upon the use of such a machine."

"Weak!" said Raven, angrily. "You dare to call me weak! I don't know who you are, or what you came here for, but I can tell you I am not..."

"I'll tell you what I came here for." said Isis. "I've come to kill you."

He suddenly swung his arm forth and two icicles flew into the direction of the young zoid pilot. The icicles struck Raven in both shoulders and pinned him against the wall. Isis then sent forth a ring of ice and it wrapped itself around Raven's throat. Raven cried in agony as the blood seeped down from his open wounds.

"That was easier than expected." said Isis. He walked up to Raven and looked at him straight in the eyes. Raven's eyes were half open now that he had been weakened from the attack and loss of blood. "I expected better results in this struggle. But you made the outcome too simplistic for my taste. I had expected your efforts to enforce your reputation as a zoid pilot. But apparently, what they say about you are only rumors and nothing more." He gave a powerful thrust to Raven's gut with his fist. Raven gasped as he felt the knuckles of his enemy dig deep into his internal organs. A stream of blood began to trickle from the side of his mouth. Isis sat down and gazed at his fine work. "You have been very disappointing to me. For your failure, I sentence you to the worst possible form of dying. I intend to have you hang there until your legs give way to exhaustion. Then you will slump down and that ring around your throat with cut off all air circulation. You will slowly suffocate. That is if you don't die of loss of blood first."

Meanwhile, on the open battlefield. Reese and Van Flyheight were continuing their battle. However, there was a slight disadvantage against Van. Because he had to fight battalion after battalion only hours earlier, he had been deprived of most of his strength. His blade liger was beginning to waver, even with the help of the silver organoid, Zeke.

"We'll have to endure as long as we can, alright buddy?" said Van. Zeke gave a soft growl and the two rushed forth into battle in the ever weakening blade liger.

"Why?" Reese thought to herself. "Why does he do this? Why do I do this? Why must we fight?"

At that particular moment, when metal would clash against metal, when zoid would attempt to slay zoid, a mysterious ship appeared from out of the blue and landed safely on the ground. For a moment, the two zoids paused in the midst of their battle to see what it was that entered their territory.

"What is that?" Van thought to himself. He cried out to the ship. "Whoever you are! You can't stay here! There's a battle going on!"

At that moment, the door of the spaceship opened and out came our heroes Riku, Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. They were now dressed in what looked like Imperial uniforms, consisting mostly of the color black.

"Where are we?" asked Sora.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" added Riku.

"That's what Sneer said." Mickey explained.

"This looks more like a desert!" said Donald. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Anyway, we look pretty good in these new duds." chuckled Goofy. He stretched out his arms to get a better look at his new outfit. It was almost identical to a baggy zoot suit, with puffy pants and a oversized military jacket. His shoes were once again on size to big and Goofy flopped his feet around like a duck.

"You look more like an idiot!"-

"I think these clothes are really cool." said Sora as he gazed upon his black leather jacket and jeans. But as he gazed at Riku, his eyes grew with envy. Riku was dressed with a flowing black trench coat, outfitted with double rows of brass buttons, armored shoulder guards, and a high collar. With his left hand was dressed with a black glove, his right was dressed with a white gauntlet. A black vest and black slacks further intensified his look with white, gold-tipped boots to complete the ensemble. "Man, Riku! How come you get such flashy outfits!"

"I guess Sneer wanted to match my wardrobe with my dark side." replied Riku.

"Enough talking about our clothes!" shouted Donald. "We have our guy to find! What the heck was his name?"

"I think it was... was um... Van." said Mickey. "Van Flyheight."

"But..uh...how will we know him?" asked Goofy.

"I don't know." said Riku. "Maybe he'll know us?"

It was then that they gazed upon the blade liger and the blue genosaur, who still wondered who these five strangers were.

"Hey, you!" shouted Van. "Get out of here! This is a battle zone!" Sora walked up to the liger and gazed at the figure in the cockpit.

"Is your name Van Flyheight?" he asked.

"I am." replied the pilot from within. "What is it you want?"

"We've come to help you. There is a powerful warrior wandering about and we've come to stop him. Do you know where he is?"-

"I have no idea what you're talking about!"-

"Van Flyheight!" shouted Reese. "Have you forgotten, we have a battle to finish!" The genosaur made ready to fire its charged particle gun.

"Get out of here now!" cried Van as he went to face the might of the blue genosaur. However, for some reason, Reese held her fire. A strange presence made itself known to her. She also detected that Hiltz, the death stinger, and Ambient's presence ceased to exist.

"Something has happened." she thought. "But what? Could it be that..." Reese's senses did not deceive her. Hiltz, Ambient, and the Death Stinger had vanished without a trace. "How can this be? How can this be?" But as she continued to sense the area, she noticed another strong power. Without another word, she began to proceed to where she felt the energy signal. "What is this new power? Could it be the Dark Kaiser? No! It is one far greater!"

"Where is she going?" said Van.

"Van!" cried Sora. "Please come down! We need to speak to you!"

"Does Reese's leaving have something to do with them?" Van didn't bother answering to his request. Instead, he took off in pursuit of Reese.

"Hey! Wait a Minute!" cried Sora. "Come back here!"

"We have to go after him." said Riku.

"We'll go after him in the gummi ship!" Mickey ordered. The five boarded the ship and began to follow the blue liger.

Meanwhile, at the abandoned home, Isis awaited patiently for Raven's final breath to exit out of his body. Blood seeped from the open wounds and sweat poured down the young man's face. His breathing became a laboring task and the ice around his neck slowly gripped Raven's throat even tighter. Isis picked at his fingernails with an icicle he made.

"I must admit, boy." said Isis. "You certainly are one who has a strong will. Any other would have suffocated to death by now."

"What...do you...want from me." Raven uttered. "Why...are you doing...this?"

"For the sake of my own personal enjoyment. I want to see potential heroes like yourself slowly die an agonizing death, knowing that all efforts to resist were futile. And when you are all dead, I will claim this planet in the name of the Dark Empire."-

"Dark...Empire? Who are...they?"-

"I will say no more for it is irrelevant to one who will soon meet his end." It was then that he detected a massive energy surge approaching them. "So, those insects have caught on! It's best that I finish what I came here to do and eliminate all potential threats." He leaped onto the window sill and grinned back at Raven. "Die well!"

As soon as he uttered those final words, Isis quietly exited and leaping into the thickness of the wilderness, not leaving a trace of energy to follow.

Within seconds of Isis's departure, Reese and the blue genosaur arrived, with Van and the blade liger not to far behind. Reese jumped out of the cockpit and ran into the house, where she felt the energy slowly fade. As she entered the main room, she stumbled upon the grim sight of Raven impaled against the wall. Van entered the room soon after to see his former rival hanging like freshly cut butcher's meat.

"Raven!" he cried, rushing to the wounded zoid pilot. Sora and the others had only arrived when they first saw Van trying to pull out the icicles from Raven's flesh.

"Oh my goodness." said Mickey. "How terrible."

Van pulled out the last icicle and Raven fell almost lifeless onto his shoulder. He turned his foe on his back and held him in his arms.

"Raven! Raven!" Van cried. "What happened! Tell me! Wake up!" The boy slowly opened his eyes and gazed upon the face of his rival.

"Fly...height." Raven uttered. "It's you."

"Tell me, Raven! Who did this to you!"-

"I...don't know. A...man..."-

"Well, what did he say to you!"-

"Empire...Dark Empire." Raven reached for Van's collar, but his arm soon fell lifeless onto the floor. Van shook him gently.

"Raven!"-

"Let me see." said Riku. He knelt opposite of Van and checked for a pulse on Raven's neck. There was still a heartbeat in his veins. "It's alright. He's still alive. Just exhausted."

"What did he mean by Dark Empire?" asked Van. Riku turned to his friends.

"Do you think?" he said.

"Without a doubt." replied Sora. "It must have been one of the Cavendish Shinobis."

"Already he must be trying to take out all potential threats." added Mickey.

"But who are you guys?" asked Van, curiously. "You still haven't told me yet." Riku stood up and introduced every new face to the young zoid pilot.

"I'm Riku." he began. "That's Sora, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald."

"We've come to protect this world." said Mickey. "You don't realize it, but your home is in great danger."

"I already know that." said Van. "We already have a mad man named Hiltz running around with a powerful zoid called the Death Stinger."

"Not anymore." Reese explained.

"What do you mean?"-

"I can no longer sense the auras of Hiltz, the Death Stinger, or Ambient. Without a doubt they must have been destroyed."-

"But how?"-

"I had sensed this new power, but took no notice of it until I recently realized that there was no longer an energy signal made by Hiltz. And if their power had suddenly disappeared, I can only fear that they've been destroyed."-

"But Hiltz had the most powerful zoid on the planet Zi. How could he just be destroyed like that?" Van then turned to Riku. "Is this the threat you were talking about?"

"Yes." replied Riku. "He is a member of the Cavendish Shinobis and his power is said be great enough to wipe out an entire planet. Or so we've heard."

"Is he armed with some sort of weapon capable of destroying a planet?" asked Reese.

"No." said Sora. "This guy uses his own strength to do that."

"His own strength?" Van scoffed. "Tell me how one guy can destroy a planet without the use of some kind of weapon?"

"We can't explain it, but we know for a fact that he needs no mechanical devise to cause utter devastation on this planet." Riku explained. "We've seen men like him in action. And believe me, the amount of energy they can accumulate would blow you away."

It was at that moment that a message transmission sounded within the cockpit of the blade liger. Van quickly ran to his zoid and turned on the communication screen. It was Captain Rob Herman.

"Herman." said Van. "What's going on?"

"I tried to reach you earlier," Herman explained, "but the enemy's static interference prevented us from connecting."

"What's going on?"-

"I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Hiltz and the death stinger have been eliminated."-

"That's good to hear, but what's the bad news."-

"Apparently, there is an even greater threat. Hiltz was destroyed by, and I'm sure you won't believe this, a single man without the use of a zoid."

"What! But how can that be possible!"-

"I don't know how to explain it, but this guy for some reason managed to use some sort of energy to take out the death stinger."-

Just then, a young girl popped her head into the screen. It was none other then Van's closest friend, Fiona. She being an ancient Zoidian was able to detect the activity that had gone on.

"Van." she cried.

"Fiona!" Van replied.

"Are you alright?"-

"I'm fine. And you?"-

"Well."-

"Tell me, Fiona. What's going on?"-

"I don't know for sure. We've never encountered anything like this before. But it has an even greater level of power than the deathsaur."-

"Are you kidding me!"-

"No."-

"Please allow us to explain the entire situation!" Riku hollered. Van poked his head out of the cockpit.

"You know about this guy?" asked Van.

"We have a good idea of who it is." Riku took the pulley up to the cockpit and presented himself before Rob Herman and Fiona.

"Who are you?" asked Herman.

"My name is Riku." replied the young man.

"Alright Riku, tell us about this guy."-

"We believe that he is one of the Cavendish Shinobis. A man who goes by the name of Isis. He has the ability to manipulate ice."-

"That's how he defeated the death stinger. He used ice."-

"The power he's capable of using goes beyond the potential of what any of you are able to do. Zoids alone would not be able to stop him. That is why my friends and I are here."-

"You haven't explained who you guys are." said Van.

"We have come to this world to stop the very enemy which threatens your home."-

"Are you saying that you're from another planet?"-

"More like another dimension."-

"Well, what can you do to help us?" asked Herman.

"Just leave everything to us." Riku replied. "It's best that you try not to engage him. Being a Shinobi, Isis can move swiftly and destroy swiftly. So make sure not to confront him head on."-

"I understand. Then, we will leave you to do what you must do." Herman turned to Van. "Van, return to base at once so that we can plan our next strategy."

"With your permission, Sir." said Riku. "I request that Van Flyheight assist us in our mission. If there's any zoid pilot we can depend on most, it's him."

"Very well. Then Van, you go with Riku and his friends. See if you can give as much support as possible."-

"I understand." Van replied.

"Be careful, Van." said Fiona. "Come back to us. Both you and Zeke."

"Don't worry, Fiona. I will." With that last statement, transmission was cut off. Van turned to Riku. "Well, let's get on our way."

"Right." replied Riku. They both jumped from the cockpit. "Sora! Tell the other's we're moving out!"-

"Gotcha!" said Sora.

"How's Raven doing?"-

"He's lost a lot of blood." said Mickey.

"I don't think he'll make it." added Sora. "Do we have any potion?"

"We never supplied ourselves with any?" Donald explained. "I could use my healing technique."

"We can't do that. We'll need all the strength we have for the upcoming battle."-

"Well..uh...maybe these will help." said Goofy as he pulled out a bag of Senzu beans.

"Goofy? Where did you get those?" asked Riku.

"Goten gave 'em to me. He said to use it only in an emergency. He also said that..uh..a half a bean should do the trick."-

"Why didn't you tell us that before!" shouted Donald as he strangled Goofy by the throat.

"You... never...asked!"-

"Give me one." said Sora. Goofy gave him the bag and Sora picked out a bean. Breaking it in half, he gave one half to the dying zoid pilot. Within seconds of consuming the bean, Raven suddenly sat up. His wounds were healed and his strength had been fully restored.

"What happened?" he said, flexing his hands into fists. "I feel great."

"Amazing." said Riku. "Fully restored with only one half of the bean. That heals better than even mega-potion. You think we can extract some of that stuff and put it into our future potion stock?"-

"I think so." said Sora.

"We'll see what we can do later." added Mickey. "Right now however, we have a ninja to take out!"

"Right!" said Van. "Then let's hurry!"

"Wait!" Raven shouted. He ran up to Van and the others. "Let me join you, Van."

"Why!"-

"I want to take that guy out as much as you do." He placed his hands on his sides. "Besides, didn't I tell you before. It there's anyone here who'll defeat you, it'll be me." Van smiled.

"Everyone wants a piece of Van, eh? Alright, I accept." Van stuck out his hand and Raven hardily grasped in a strong handshake.

"Then, let's do it." Raven turned to Reese. "You should stay here, Reese. We'll take care of it."

"Do you boys think you can have all the fun without me." Reese replied. "I want to kill that guy just as much as you do. So either I come along, or I stand against you. Which will it be."

"Well, do we have a choice." said Van. "Then, let's gear up!"

So now, three new allies sided with Sora and the others. They mounted upon their zoids and rushed to where the power level was detected. Three zoid pilots, once enemies and now allies, joined the Kingdom Hearts group to help liberate Zi from the threat of the Dark Empire.

Isis had detected a new power, a power far greater than the first three. Though he detected its presence earlier, he had decided to ignore it for the time being. Now, that he knew the first three were of no threat, Isis made his efforts and struck out against the greater power.

"I'm sure whoever is here will enjoy my presence." Isis said to himself. "How enrapturing!"

As he flew towards the Valley of the Rarehurtz, he was inevitably confronted by legions of sleeper zoids. The Valley of the Rarehurtz was responsible for creating bizarre seismic activity which caused most zoids to act in rather irrational manners, allowing them to become more acquainted with their warrior instincts. To become savage and untamable. As Isis confronted these guardians of the valley, he only chuckled.

"I apologize, but I have no time for you whatsoever!" he scoffed. He slightly exhaled his lungs and from his mouth a icy wind current bellowed forth, freezing solid all attacking sleepers. The ice was so cold, it penetrated through the zoid armor and froze the zoid core, the very heart of the zoid itself and the single function which gave life to a zoid. As soon as the ice touched this vulnerable necessity of life, the zoids ceased to function and die.

"How pathetic these zoids are." said Isis. "They're all bark and no bite! I intend to go after the greater power that lies within the caverns of this valley." Just then, he detected heavy strengths approaching from behind. He paused for a moment in mid-air. "It must be Sora and the others. They mean to stop me. Well, they'll certainly have an excruciating obstacle to conquer first before they can get to me."

In seconds, Isis began to accumulate a series of dark clouds over the valley. Winds began to bellow and snow hailed down in a great maelstrom. However, within seconds of the storm's creation, Isis diminished it, allowing the warm sun to beam through.

"Perhaps I'll wait a little longer. If I want to catch them off guard, its best to deploy the storm when they are closer to me."-

Within the cavern, the Dark Kaiser, formally known as Günter Prozen, former regent of the Gylos Empire, awaited the appearance of Van's closest friend, Fiona who happened to be also an ancient Zoidian. With Fiona under his control, Prozen hoped to awaken Zoid Eve, the mother and the life source to which all zoids were connected. By resurrecting the Zoid Eve, Prozen hoped to also resurrect the Deathsaur, which was once the most feared and most powerful zoid in all of Zi. It was in fact the thing responsible for killing off the entire ancient Zoidian civilizations centuries earlier. And now Prozen's ideal was to use the Deathsaur as an enforcer to help him conquer the world.

"It is only a matter of time before I can awaken the zoid eve." said the Dark Kaiser. "Soon Fiona Elise Lynette, you will come to me and resurrect her. And once she has been revived, then the Deathsaur will walk again and reek havoc upon this planet once more."

"You certainly have this plan of yours well detailed down to perfection." a voice shouted out from the shadows. "I guess both you and I have a common goal to work on."

"Who's there!" shouted Prozen. "I demand to know who's there! Hiltz! Reese! Raven!"

"Hiltz is dead, Raven is dying, and Reese, as well as all on Zi will soon feel my wrath. Including you, Günter Prozen, former regent of the Gylos Empire." chuckled the voice. "But I guess you insist on being called the Dark Kaiser now!"

"Show yourself, perpetrator! Who are you! And How did you get here!"-

From the shadows, appeared the same tall, stalky man who had confronted the might and power of the Death Stinger only a couple hours earlier.

"I am Isis. The seventh member of the Cavendish Shinobis. And how I got here will be kept a secret." said the ninja. "I only wished to seek an audience with you and see if you were willing to listen to my proposal."

"What do you want!"-

"I want you to help me take over this world. Together, you and I can rule this world with an iron fist and there would be none who could dare to defy us."-

"What's your price?"-

"You help me conquer this world and I will make sure that you're well rewarded by dubbing you as supreme ruler of Zi. And with me as your personal bodyguard, no resistance would ever surface in the face of your regime. Well, what do you say?"-

"How do I know that you are as strong as you claim to be?"-

Only after that statement, Isis suddenly fired a an energy ice ball at the inner caverns. In less than a few seconds, half of the Kaiser's underground realm was frozen solid. Stalactites and stalagmites, hit by the explosion were automatically frozen solid. As soon as they had taken their ice form, many cracked from their foundations and fell, or collapsed to the floor, shattering into billions of frozen shards.

"Does that prove anything to you?" said Isis. "I am master of ice. And to be master of ice, I can cause great blizzard storms beyond your own imagination."

"Now I'm interested." said the Dark Kaiser. "How shall you help me!"

"Call forth the Ancient Zoidian, Fiona Elise Lynette and have her awaken the Zoid Eve!"-

"Very well!"-

Within minutes of the request, a bright form of light began to accumulate from within the cavern. As the light faded, there stood the young girl, Fiona, wondering where she was.

"What is this place?" she said to herself.

"Welcome, Fiona." said the Dark Kaiser. "I'm so glad that you can make it!"

"I know you." she replied. "You're Günter Prozen."

"You're right about that, young lady. I was once known as Günter Prozen. The former emperor of the Gylos Empire. But now I have become a far superior being. I am the Dark Kaiser."-

Fiona realized that Prozen's body was encased in what looked like a melted zoid core. Immediately, she knew what it was that stood before her.

"That... that's the Deathsaur's zoid core." she said.

"Correct." said Prozen. "I have become the zoid core of the Deathsaur. And All I need from you is the power to help resurrect the Deathsaur from its eternal slumber. That way I may be able to reek havoc upon all of Zi! Now, ancient Zoidian, fulfill my request! Awaken the zoid eve!"

With his new power, he took hold of Fiona's mind and lead her to where the zoid eve rested.

Meanwhile, at that time, Van and the others had managed to track down Isis's trail to the Valley of the Rarehurtz. Upon the way, they saw zoids frozen in icy tombs. Those which had escaped their icy prison were turned to stone. The extreme cold had completely froze the zoid, core and all, killing them instantly.

"Without a doubt, this is the work of Isis." said Sora.

"He has taken refuge in the Valley of the Rarehurtz." Reese explained.

"Valley of the Rarehurtz?" asked Donald. "What's a rarehurtz."

"It is seismic activity that accumulates a bizarre form of energy." Van explained. "These tremors cause zoids to lose their ability to rationally think and become more acquainted with their warrior nature." He and Reese activated their stabilizers to prevent their zoids from being effected by the rarehurtz. "I wonder what's lead him to the Valley of the Rarehurtz."

"It must be the Dark Kaiser!" said Raven. "Isis must've sensed his presence in some way. Either that, or the Dark Kaiser has summoned him."

"Could they be in league with each other?"-

"Probably."-

It was then that Van received a transmission from Headquarters. Upon his viewing screen, Captain Rob Herman appeared.

"Van! Can you hear me!" he shouted. The picture was slightly statically.

"Yes, Herman, I can hear you!" Van replied. "What is it! We're sort of busy right now!"

"It's about Fiona! She vanished!"-

"What! What do you mean she's vanished!" Van was all in shock.

"For some reason, she just disappeared in a bright ray of light."-

"It's begun then." said Reese. "Fiona has been summoned to the Valley of the Rarehurtz to resurrect the zoid eve."

"What was that!" asked Van. "You mean she's here!"

"If she awakens the zoid eve, then the terror of Zi will also be resurrected."-

"You mean the..."-

"Yes. The Deathsaur."-

"We have no choice, we must move out now!" Van contacted Herman again. "Herman, we're gonna need a lot more fire power than this! Reese tells me that once Fiona awakens the zoid eve, its resurrection will also awaken the scourge of Zi, the Deathsaur!"

"Are you sure!" asked Herman.

"Without a doubt! Get all forces assembled here now!"-

"Very well! I will inform the Madam President and Emperor Rudolph immediately!"-

Herman logged out and Van and the others continued towards their goal.

"It seems we have company." said Isis.

"Yes." replied Prozen. "We must hurry."

"Take the girl and awaken the zoid eve."-

"What about you?"-

"I shall remain here and hold them off with a grand maelstrom! I will display the true extent of power of the Cavendish Shinobis!" Isis walked out of the cavern leaving Prozen and Fiona alone.

"Now then, Fiona Elise Lynette," he chuckled, "awaken zoid eve and allow me to harness the power of the deathsaur. The greatest zoid on Zi!"

Meanwhile, back at headquarters, Herman had assembled the heads of the both the Gylos Empire and the Helic Republic.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Emperor Rudolph. "The zoid eve will resurrect the Deathsaur?"

"That's correct, your Majesty." Herman replied. "And we have no zoids powerful enough to stop it!"

"There must be a way to stop the resurrection of the zoid eve." said the Madam President. "Surely, Van can stop the Dark Kaiser before then."

"Nevertheless, we must assume that the deathsaur was resurrected. We would need to use a zoid that could equal the strength of the Deathsaur."-

"You mean we should..." There was a moment of silence before Herman gave out the order.

"Contact Colonel Kruger at Winding Lake! Tell him to deploy our secret weapon." He ordered. "If there's anything that can stand a chance, that can."

"The Ultrasaurus." said Rudolph.

"Call Dr. D!" Herman further instructed. "Tell him we need the gravity cannon right away!"

"Understood." said one of the attendants.

"To think that we'd be using such a powerful weapon like that." Madam President thought to herself.

"I want as many divisions out there to help aid Van Flyheight!"-

"We're giving the order now, Sir." said another attendant.

"I will have the Imperial forces deployed to that area as well." said Rudolph.

"Appreciated." replied Herman.

At the same time, Van and his party were nearing the cavern of the Dark Kaiser. But as they came ever closer, the gazed upon a lone individual standing just below the ridge.

"Who is that?" asked Van.

"It's Isis!" said Raven.

"That's Isis?" asked Sora. "He doesn't look like must from here."

"Don't underestimate him, kid. He's much more dangerous than he looks."-

But as they neared him, the shinobi raised his hand and stretched it in front of him. Within seconds, clouds began to form above the party and snow began to fall. Gently at first, but then became increasingly more power as the winds increased in strength. In only a few minutes, the zoids found themselves furrowing in the snow.

"How could the weather pick up so quickly!" said Van. "We can barely move now!"

"I see now why Isis is called the master of the ice element." Riku thought to himself.


	6. Rise of the Deathsaur

Rise of the Deathsaur

There was only dark in the corridor. No light could be seen as the Dark Kaiser and his key, an ancient Zoidian, reached the door leading to the realm of the zoid eve. A massive door of metal, inscribed with the old runes of ancient Zi, stood in grandeur before them.

"Behold, Fiona." said Prozen. "Behind these doors, the zoid eve awaits you. Once the zoid eve is revived, then the deathsaur will be resurrected along with it. And then I will become a part of the greatest entity on Zi. There will be none to defy my rule."

The massive doors began to open with a great rumble. Rubble fell from the foundation as light peered into the dark corridor. Before them, a grand city appeared behind the doors. The place where the zoid eve resided. As the doors pounded against the wall, fully opened, both Fiona and Prozen strolled upon a narrow, white walkway. The walkway itself was a great distance from the ground below. The walkway ended before a tall platform which stood in the form of an octagon shaped tower. Fiona stood upon it at the center and eight great pillars rose from the towers top. Before her stood the zoid eve. A statue of a woman who was responsible for the life and death of all zoids on the planet.

"There before you is the zoid eve." said Prozen with a chuckle. "The very essence of existence for all zoids. Upon her awakening, I will gain absolute control of this planet. Behold there!" Prozen pointed to a block of ice and glass which stood high above the walkway. Entombed within the glossy surface, the form of the deathsaur resided, like a dark shadow overlooking the abandoned city. Here is where the deathsaur made its final attempt to destroy all of Zi centuries before. "Now go, Fiona. Carry out your destiny and awake the zoid eve so that I may become all powerful."

"I cannot do that." Fiona responded. "I cannot allow you to have your way. If the zoid eve is revived and the deathsaur is restored, then all of Zi will be destroyed. You will end up obliterating what you so desired to rule. Don't you realize, Prozen? You are only being controlled by the deathsaur's will."

"Must I explain it to you. I am no longer Prozen. I have become something far greater. I have become the deathsaur. And once you revive the zoid eve, then I can once again inhabit the body of my true form." There was a sudden silence between the two. "What are you waiting for! Fulfill your destiny!"

"I refuse!" said Fiona.

"What! You refuse!"-

"I can only do what is best for all of Zi! I will destroy the zoid eve!"-

"You little fool!" Prozen lunged forth, but a barrier of energy already protected the tower. Nothing could now enter where Fiona stood. "Don't tell me that you're really planning to destroy the zoid eve."

"It is best for all of Zi. It is the only solution before me."-

"But don't you realize that if you destroy the zoid eve, you would be destroying all the zoids on this planet as well? They will cease to exist. And I am sure you don't want that sort of burden to be placed on your shoulders."-

"But I believe it is best. If I destroy the zoid eve, then at least Zi would be spared from the wrath of the deathsaur. That is a sacrifice I'd be willing to take." She now stood towards the zoid eve. A silver column appeared within the center and Fiona placed her hands over it. It was the activation device to the zoid eve. But as she stood determined to carry out with her plan, Prozen only scoffed.

"I don't think you'll really do it." chucked Prozen. "No! I know you won't do it. Because you are not the type to destroy living things. You know that if you destroy all the zoids, by eliminating the zoid eve, you would also be taking away the source which has been used to sustain life on this planet. Many humans on this planet depend upon the zoids for their livelihood. They use zoids for heavy labor, transportation, and war. Deprive humans of that and you would have jeopardized their lives as well. It would be no different then if the deathsaur was to go on a rampage. And I'm sure you wouldn't be able to stomach such a loss of life, knowing that it was all your fault."

Fiona hesitated. She was now fully aware of the effect that would occur if she were to destroy the zoid eve. She lowered her hand.

"If I destroy the zoid eve," she thought, "I would have caused a sudden shift of the livelihood of people everywhere if I deprive them of their zoids."

At that moment, Isis appeared next to Prozen.

"I see we have a situation here." he said. "Your precious ancient zoidian proving to be more of a stubborn bother for you than expected, Kaiser?"

"No." replied Prozen. "She just needs to figure out what the best course of action is. But eventually, she will have to yield to my point of view."

"Don't underestimate the stubbornness of the female species. They tend to hold their ground no matter what the situation. But I do understand the consequence of her actions. To make the wrong decision could prove fatal to all life on the planet. I don't know how humans would fare against the hardships without their zoids to aid them."-

Their conversation was spoken clearly so that Fiona could hear every word and dwell on every statement made. She suddenly turned towards the two villains with and determined look on her face.

"I know what you are trying to do." she said, angrily. "You are forcing me to dwell on the decision I will make and the circumstances that would emerge as a result of that decision. But you continue to point out the negative aspects of one side of the argument in hoping that I would in some way turn to the other solution for answers. But I know the consequence for turning to your ideal. At least, if I were to destroy the zoid eve now, the hardships endured by the people of Planet Zi may have dire results, but at least they will survive. They will adapt to a new way of life and find a new way of making a living. Whereas, if I were to sink to your level and resurrect the zoid eve for the sake of the zoids themselves, then I would have forsaken both they and humans. No one would be safe from the wrath of the deathsaur."-

"Don't you think you talk too much for your own good, girl." said Isis. "Less talking and more action!"

"I will do what is best by my agenda."-

Isis grew angry and lunged forth. The power of the shield held him off temporarily. However, because he accumulated so much inner chi, he was able to break through the shield without further strain. He grabbed Fiona by the arms and brought her up close to his eyes. Both glared into each other's pupils.

"You know what the difference is between Prozen and I?" he said. "I don't have the patience to conflict with such a naive little girl like you!" Isis stretched out his hand and raised the center control pillar. Suddenly, he activated the power of the zoid eve. Within minutes, the zoid eve began to glow.

"How could you do this!" she cried. "How could you!"-

"Quite simple." Isis replied. "The only thing about ancient zoidians is that they are more prone to the ability of inner chi than humans are. So they are able to accumulate a larger amount of energy. And because of that ability, they are able to sense sudden shifts in the natural energy balance more effectively that humans can. Activation of such a wonder like the zoid eve also requires above natural abilities. However, because I have the ability to manipulate energy at a greater level then you, I am able to perform the same skills as you. But with greater effectiveness." Isis then turned to Prozen. "Now fulfill your destiny, Prozen. Take the body of the deathsaur and achieve your ultimate goal!"

"Thank you very much, Isis." said Prozen. "Because of you, I am now able to take possession of the most powerful zoid on Zi."

"No! Why have you done this!" Fiona shouted.

"The reason is because Prozen is like me." chuckled Isis. "He and I have the same principles. We both wish to annihilate and conquer. Besides, as they say 'evil attracts evil.' And to tell you the truth, it's good Samaritans like you that I despise the most!"

At the same time, Van and the others were continuously trudging through the ever deepening snow.

"Damn that Isis!" shouted Raven. "Him and his self made blizzard!"

"We have to get through this somehow!" added Van. He had been using his blades to help melt the thickening snow and their path was slowly cleared. "Raven use your charged particle gun. That'll at least give us less time trying to fight off this maelstrom."

"I would like to, but after our last battle, the genobreaker lost almost all its power. I can't even fly out of this mess on my own as I am now. Let alone firing my charged particle gun."-

"Then, allow me to try." said Reese. "I still have enough power to fire a charged particle beam."

"Then, I leave the rest to you." said Van.

The blue genosaur made its way to the front. Revealing its gun barrel and activating its foot lock, the genosaur began to power up its main cannon. In an instant, the charged particle gun melted a path in the middle of the blizzard.

"Alright!" said Van. "Let's get going."

However, as they began their run, they saw that the strong winds and heavy snowfall began to impede their path again. They had only gone a few hundred yards before their cleared path was covered by ice once more.

"It's no good." said Sora from the gummi ship. "This storm is far too great to pass through."

"That loathsome Isis!" said Riku, angrily. "Having to interfere. At this rate, we'll never make it."

"Wait!" said Raven. "You can fly out of this storm can't you?"

"We can do that. However, we have wasted a lot of fuel trying to reach your world. If we try to accelerate now and break through the strong air currents above the storm, we would have wasted a good, extra 15 out of our booster capacity. And since we only have 16 of our booster power left, we would end up plummeting back into the storm."-

"He has a point though." said Mickey. "We have to risk it. If we just hover around here, we won't get anything accomplished. We might have only 1 boosting capacity left, but is should be enough to get us to where the zoid eve is and stall some time."

"We have no choice, but to try!" said Sora.

"Very well!" Riku agreed. "Then, set our boosters to maximum output! We have to time our ascension perfectly, or we'll end up using more fuel than expected! Donald! Prepare to set off rocket boosters on my signal!"

"Roger that!" replied Donald, easing the nose of the gummi ship to a high angle. "Boosters to maximum output! Ready to ignite in 5...4...3...2...1...!"

After finishing the count down, Donald ignited the boosters and the gummi ship breeched over the darkened clouds of the maelstrom. They reached the clear sky only to run out of fuel. The ship glided towards the city structure within the valley. Pecking along the ridge surrounding the ruined city, the gummi ship landed safely on the ground with minimal damage. The five emerged with stars circling around their heads.

"Nice landing." said Mickey, sarcastically.

"Well excuse me!" replied Donald, slightly peeved. "Is it my fault that we ran out of fuel and booster power and that this oversized paperweight fell like a rock!"

"Well..."-

"Shut up!"-

"This is no time to quarrel, you guys." said Riku. "We have to remain as inconspicuous as possible."

"Yeah." added Sora. "And make sure that they don't see us too." Riku suddenly smacked Sora at the back of the head. "Hey! What was that for!"

"Idiot! That's what inconspicuous means!"-

"Well, if that inconspicuous means what I think it does, I aught to punch you right in the nose!" added Donald, pointing his finger at Riku.

"It just means not to be noticeable, or prominent." chuckled Goofy. The others looked at him in amazement.

"Since when did you get so smart?"-

"I forget."-

"Well, now that that menagerie is over, can we get going." Riku interrupted.

"What does menagerie mean?" asked Donald. Goofy came forward again.

"It means..."-

"Never mind, Goofy! Let's just go!"-

At the same time, Isis awaited the moment that Prozen entered the body of the imprisoned Deathsaur. Prozen for some reason only glared at it for a great deal of time.

"Prozen!" shouted Isis. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate if you embody yourself in that monstrosity as soon as you can!"

"Just wait!" Prozen replied. "I have finally achieved my ultimate goal! I want to savor this moment! The moment when I finally achieve true power!"

"Well, apparently you've taken too long for your savoring moment! We have company!"-

Prozen looked to see several individuals descending to the path. It was none other than Sora and the others. Their weapons drawn, they stood ready to do battle.

"Not so fast, Dark Kaiser!" shouted Sora.

"Well, it looks like we do have company." chuckled Prozen. "And what do you five want!"

"Isn't it obvious!" said Riku. "We've come to stop your twisted plans!"

"That's all very well said, but I know where I stand in power. However, you don't know where you stand in power!"-

"So, you fools finally caught up with me!" said Isis. "I could've sworn that you were locked in the powerful blizzard I created!"

"We're not so easy to take down as you thought!" said Mickey. "Your expansion ends here!"

"Do you know these fools?" asked Prozen.

"Of course!" replied the ninja. "Those five have come to prevent my takeover of this world!"

"Do not worry then! There average human powers are no match for me!"-

"You idiot! Don't underestimate them! They are the ones who defeated the Heartless Empire!"-

"I don't care who they are! They won't be able to stop me from my fulfilling my destiny!"-

"I'll show you!" shouted Sora, lunging at the dark Kaiser with his sword. But as he neared him, Prozen deployed an energy shield which easily repelled the young man's attack. Sora rolled back to his feet and thrust the sword before him.

"Are you OK, Sora?" asked Riku.

"I'm fine. Just got carried away."-

"Ha! You see!" chuckled Prozen. "You are no match for me!"

"That's what you think!" Sora uttered. "I won't make that same mistake again!" Sora rushed forward again, but this time he jumped over Prozen's head, landing behind him. He slashed with the sword, but the energy shield deflected the hit. Sora's blade clashed with the energy, causing an electrical surge to spread.

"What are you thinking!" the Kaiser chuckled. "No matter how much you try, you can never penetrate this shield I've created!"

"Says you!" shouted a voice from behind. Prozen suddenly looked to see Riku attacking from behind. Without being able to defend himself, Prozen's shield was not concentrated on Riku's attack and Riku broke through, slashing at the metal surface of the zoid core. Prozen backed off in time, but the damage had been done. Upon the glossy surface of the zoid core, which fused with his body, there was a deep cut mark made by the sword.

"Not so tough now are you!" said Sora. "Your shield is only most effective when you're concentrating on one person's attack. However, when being attacked from both sides, you seem to have trouble keeping up with our assault."

"That was only a lucky shot!" Prozen bellowed. "But I'll make sure not to make that same mistake again!"

"Well, then I hope you do mind if we take a bit of the action!" said Mickey, pointing his keyblade before him. Donald and Goofy were ready to fight as well, wielding their weapons in a posture meant only for offensive battle.

"Let's get him!" shouted the five, attacking the dark Kaiser upon the narrow path. Prozen began to deflect each attack. Using sonic booms as his weapon, he fended off his attackers. But despite his efforts, he could not fend off all five at the same time. After only a few attacks, Sora and the others figured out his plan of attack and were able to predict his every move.

"This is impossible!" said Prozen. "How can these mere boys manage to outdo me in battle!" Only after a few minutes of battle did the five righteous fighters reassemble their group and made ready for another assault.

"Face it, Prozen!" said Riku. "We know your every move now! There's no way that you can take us down!"

"I can't believe this! How can I not be able to face these hatchlings and win!"-

"It's over!" cried Sora, as he and the others lunged forward.

Suddenly, Isis emerged before Prozen. For a moment, or two, Sora and the others halted their attack on the dark Kaiser.

"Icicle Shuriken!" he cried. And from his fingers, several icicle blades appeared and launched themselves against the attackers. They lodged themselves into the ground just below Sora's feet. Isis turned to Prozen. "I told you you're no match for them as you are. If you want to do away with these little bugs for good, I suggest you get your worthless hide into that zoid's body and stop wasting anymore time!"

"Very well then." said Prozen. As soon as he turned to the deathsaur, his body began to glow and it began hovering over to the large black of ice to which the deathsaur was entombed. Isis made a snicker.

"That's right, Prozen." he thought to himself. "Once you enter the deathsaur, all will be going according to plan."

"No you don't, Prozen!" shouted Riku. "I won't let you merge with the deathsaur!" However as Riku began to renew his assault against the dark Kaiser, Isis suddenly confronted him.

"If you wish to get to him, you'll have to go through me first!" Isis thrust out his hand and a freezing wind bellowed forth and blew Riku against a wall. His body being incased in ice.

"Riku!" cried Sora. He angrily turned towards Isis. "Leave him alone, you scum!" He lunged forth with his sword, but Isis again used the same attack which he used on Riku and young Sora was pinned against the wall with his body locked in a block of ice as well.

"You'll pay for that!" shouted Mickey, as he, Donald, and Goofy made their final attempt, but they too met the same attack. Donald, however managed to fall back slightly and avoid the attack. At the same time, both Goody and Mickey were frozen in ice.

"Perhaps next time you'll know better than to interfere." said Isis. "We will carry out with our plans. And you, my dear friends, shall watch as we obtain the greatest power this world has ever known!"

They could only watch helplessly as Prozen's body was absorbed into the body of the deathsaur. In seconds, the great block of ice and glass which acted as a prison for the deathsaur began to break. Sora and the others could only watch helplessly as this monster of Zi was reawaken again to reek havoc throughout the planet.

"Yes!" shouted Prozen joyfully from inside the deathsaur. "Now here at last, I have gained the ultimate power on Zi! Now there is no one who can stop me!"

"Excellent work!" added Isis. "Now that you have the power which you have always seeked, you are once again free to spread chaos all over this miserable little sphere! Go forth and show them your true power! As I shall show mine!"

"Now there is no one to stop us!"-

"That's what you think!" shouted a voice. From above the pathway, leading to the control panel to the zoid eve, Van, Reese, and Raven emerged, leading their zoids into battle. The three zoids presented themselves before the deathsaur, ready to fight.

"Van!" cried Fiona from the control panel.

"Are you alright, Fiona." young Flyheight asked her.

"I'm fine, Van. I'm glad to see that you made it."-

"You are too late, Flyheight!" chuckled Isis. "Prozen has already gained the ultimate power! There is no way that you'll win now! Give up while you're still alive! It is pointless to fight against him!"

"That's something we just can't do!" said Raven. "If we must die, then we'll die fighting!"

"That's right!" Van added. "I won't just sit here and allow you to have your way! Let's go, Zeke!"

The silver organoid within the blade liger gave a soft growl in agreement and the three zoids went into battle. Despite the odds stacked against them, these former enemies now joined together to try and eliminate a common enemy.

Not far from the Valley of the Rarehurtz, the great zoid, Ultrasaurus, was approaching at its maximum pace. This massive zoid carried upon its back the secret weapon created by the Gylos Empire. Known as the gravity cannon, this weapon fired a heavily condensed projectile called a planetelicite shell, a substance that is highly concentrated in its atomic make up. So much that it has its own gravitational pull. Thus, the effect of the deployed shell, when reaching its target, creates a semi-black hole.

Upon the bridge, Colonel Rob Herman and members of both the Imperial Gylos Empire and the Helic Republic awaited their destination.

"We are reaching our destination, Sir." said one of the attendants. "It appears that the deathsaur and Van Flyheight have assembled at the Valley of the Rarehurts."

"Make sure to have all stabilizers to there maximum!" said Herman.

"Stabilizers to their maximum!"-

"Inform weapons control! Tell Colonel Carl Shuvaultz to load the planetelicite shell!"-

"At once!"-

Colonel Carl Shuvaultz, the elder brother of Thomas Richard Shuvaultz, was in charge of activating the gravity cannon.

"Acknowledged." he replied to the bridge. "Loading planetelicite shell!"

"Loading planetelicite shell!" said one of the attendants.

"Set coordinates to intended target! Target is the deathsaur!"-

Meanwhile, in the skies above the ultrarsaurus, a series of whale king battle cruisers, sent by the Gylos Empire, overlooked the Valley of the Rarehurtz. Aboard one of the whale kings, Emperor Rudolph gazed upon the sight which he had never wished to see again. The sight of the deathsaur, the very monster which inflicted so much chaos upon his capital city a year before, filled him with a great fear.

"I never would have thought that monster would come again to reek havoc upon Zi." he said. "But I am willing to do everything possible to see that that thing doesn't go beyond the borders of that valley."

"Are you sure that it's safe for you to be here, your Majesty?" asked Prime Minister Homeleff. "By being here, we'd be in the front line of battle. And there might be a chance that we'd be shot down."

"There's no need to fear. Besides, what good am I if I can't help boost the morale of our troops without being beside them as well?"-

"I do see what you mean, your Majesty."-

"More insects." Isis uttered.

"What was that?" said Prozen. The deathsaur turned around to see the coming of the Republican and Imperial forces. "What fools they all are! Don't they know that it's utterly futile to fight against me now! I am the most powerful zoid in all of Zi now! And to show that I'm right, I will give them the full power of my charged particle gun!" From the open mouth of the deathsaur, a large ball of energy began to accumulate. Then, from the mouth of the monster, a powerful energy beam bellowed forth. It's first target was the ultrasaurus.

"High energy approaching us at a high speed!" cried one of the attendants.

"Make sure that shields are deployed to their maximum!" Herman ordered.

"Aye, Sir!"-

The beam hit the shield, but was immediately deflected. However, the impact took out 25 of the shields energy capacity.

"Shield is still holding, Sir!" cried a second attendant. "However, if the deathsaur continues to target us, then our shields will give out!"

"How's the status on the gravity cannon!" asked Herman.

"Locking on to the target now!" said Shuvaultz, from the control room. "Maximum levels in ten seconds! Ready to fire in 5...4...3...2...1...! Target locked!"

"FIRE!"-

From the cannon bellowed a great boom and the planetelicite shell was launched into the air. It screamed as it approached and fell towards its intended target. However, though the deathsaur had spotted the incoming shell, it did nothing to prevent the impact.

"You fools!" chuckled Prozen. The shell hit and a great gravitational pull was deployed over the deathsaur. Everything surrounding the deathsaur was suppressed and a crater began to form. However, amidst the crater, the deathsaur began to deploy an energy ring which suppressed the gravity, absorbing it into the atmosphere. The personnel aboard the deathsaur and within the united forces watched in horror as their only hope to save Zi was easily thwarted by the power of the deathsaur. "Don't you realize there is nothing you can do to stop me now! I am all powerful! And just to show you! I will deploy the ultimate charged particle gun."

The deathsaur raised its head towards the sky and bellowed forth another energy beam. The beam went through the energy ring above and split into separate entities. These entities were then deployed throughout Zi and their impact caused mass destruction upon towns and cities. Entire populations disappeared in an instant.

"It can't be!" said Herman. "It's all over!"

"He rendered the gravity cannon useless!" said Dr. D.

"I never thought it would end like this!" said Thomas.

"No!" cried Irvine. "I can't accept this! We can't just sit here and wait for the end!"

At the same time, Riku, Sora, and the others could only watch in awe and horror, as they saw this monster in action.

"I can't believe that there's such power like this!" said Riku. "How could we've thought to take this thing out!"

"It's more terrifying than I expected!" added Sora. "If we were only free of this ice!"

"Don't worry." Donald whispered, emerging next to them.

"Donald. You didn't get frozen."-

"No I didn't. And shut up, or I won't be able to free you without mister ninja spotting me." he used his fire spell to melt the ice.

Meanwhile, Reese, Raven, and Van attacked the deathsaur at its feet. They probed the monster for weaknesses.

"It's no use!" said Reese. "We won't be able to inflict any damage at this rate."

"We can't give up now, Reese!" replied Van. "We must make a last effort to destroy the deathsaur!"

"Prozen!" roared Raven. "I'll see you dead!"

"What annoying fools you are!" chuckled Prozen. "Can you not see how futile it is to fight against me! So far, you are only flies to me! Not much of a threat!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"-

"You think that after all you've seen, you would have known the truth! But still you wish to deny that your powerless against me!"-

Upon the control tower, Fiona could only watch as her comrades made their desperate stance to battle against the raving monster.

"This fight is so meaningless now." she thought. "There in only one possible way to defeat the deathsaur and that is to destroy the zoid eve. That is a sacrifice I am willing to take!"

Isis gazed on as the deathsaur easily repelled the attackers. He folded his arms in front of him and sighed.

"Pity! What a waste of my time!" he said to himself. "I could've had this much fun too!"

"Why watch it then when you can join in!" said a voice. Isis turned to see that Sora and the others were free of their icy prisons.

"Well, I see that you have freed yourselves, but it is too late. The deathsaur has been reawakened! And there is nothing that you fools can do about it!" he turned towards them. "All is going according to my plan."

"What do you mean according to your plan!" asked Mickey.

"Yeah!" said Riku. "Have you seen the power of that thing! Not even you can stand against it!"

"That is precisely why I allowed Prozen to take possession of the deathsaur." chuckled Isis. "I wanted him to gain the so called ultimate power so that he would think he was invincible entirely! Only to find out that his deathsaur is none other than a big fancy toy! Believe me! Do you think I would allow him to take possession of such a monster, if I knew I couldn't surpass him!"

"You mean you plan to...?"-

"That's right! I will destroy him myself!"-

Upon the pinnacle of power, Prozen launched another powerful energy beam through the ring and separate waves spread in different directions, causing great devastation throughout the planet. Though it seemed hopeless for Van and the others, they continued to fight on. However, due to the immense power of the deathsaur, neither the genosaur, the genobreaker, or the blade liger make an effective effort to stop it.

"Ha! I see you still intend to fight me!" chuckled Prozen.

"I cannot allow you to spread further chaos!" cried Van.

"As long as I live and breathe, I will not stop the fight!" shouted Raven, angrily.

"You used us as your pawns because we were easy to manipulate." added Reese. "Because we had no other point in life! But now that you intend to destroy everything within this world, we have found a new purpose to fight! And that is to fight on to protect this world!"

"Isn't that touching! Losers fighting for a lost cause!" The deathsaur swept the three away like gnats. "Hiltz had the right idea! Only the strong are meant to survive! And now that I can be dubbed as the strongest, there is no longer a need for you fools to exist any further! The weak shall perish! I shall cleanse all of Zi of its worthless populous and build a world for the strong and the powerful!"

As Prozen walked about, demolishing ruins along his path, he noticed Isis glaring at him with a smirk streaked upon his face.

"Quite a sight!" said Isis. "Quite a sight indeed!"

"Thank you for your efforts!" chuckled Prozen. "Because of you, I was able to gain the deathsaur's power with very little effort on my part!"

"I'm glad that you think so! Now that you have gained the greatest power on Zi, I shall now eliminate you as promised!" Prozen chuckled thinking it as some sort of humorous joke, but he saw that Isis was no longer grinning.

"You must be joking, right?"-

"No, Prozen. I'm afraid not." There was a long silence before Prozen began to laugh uncontrollably.

"You defeat me! Have you lost your senses completely! Have you not seen the true power of the deathsaur! Or have you been wandering around in your fantasy world for too long! I have no weakness! The deathsaur is invincible from top to bottom! And you're telling me that you can eliminate me! I don't know where you got off on the wrong foot, Isis, but I know for a fact there is no way that's possible!"-

"If you put your mind to it, you can do anything."-

"And what sort of weapon will you use against me!"-

"I will use my own strength."-

Prozen only guffawed even more. He could not believe what he was hearing.

"Your own strength! Now I know that you've truly lost your senses completely! You intend to face me with nothing, but your bare hands! You fool!"-

"That's all I'll need for this job."-

"Very well. Let's see how tough you are facing against the invincible deathsaur."-

"I would also like to point out that the deathsaur isn't as powerful as you say it is. As a matter of fact, I think I'd be able to point out three possible weaknesses."-

"You bluff. This zoid has no weakness whatsoever!"-

The deathsaur swung its mighty tail and plunged it onto the walkway where Isis stood. The impact caused the walkway to collapse in that particular area. Sora and the others jumped out of the way, making it to the doorway. Dust fell upon them and they coughed harshly.

"What a bizarre turn of events!" said Riku. "They're fighting against each other now."

"Talk about irony." added Sora. "What do we do?"-

"We're not much use here. It's best that we stay out of it."-

"But the deathsaur isn't that powerful is it, Riku?"-

"It's not the deathsaur that worries me."-

"He's right, Sora." said Mickey. "The deathsaur is intimidating. That much is clear. But it only has so many abilities. If that charged particle gun is the best form of attack it's equipped with, then perhaps it's not as powerful as we thought. I believe Isis has already seen that."

The deathsaur raised its tail and turned towards the demolished bridge. There was nothing, but rubble to meet its gaze.

"You were a fool to defy me!" said Prozen. "I told you that you lost your senses completely! All it took was one swing to do away with you for good!"

"You certainly make large assumptions about an enemy you've never encountered." chuckled a voice. Prozen looked behind him to find Isis hovering in mid-air. Prozen was all astonished.

"You can fly! How are you doing that!"-

"What difference is it to you! We still have a battle to finish! Or have you started to believe that there is a possible way of defeating you!"-

"Shut up!" The deathsaur swung its tail again, but missed the shinobi who easily dodged it without much effort.

"Here's weakness number one." Isis explained. "The deathsaur's offensive and defensive capabilities are quite impressive. Unfortunately, because its weighed down with only attack and defense, it significantly lacks in terms of speed. Which means that you wouldn't be able to hit me no matter how much you try. If the tail is the best thing you have to swiping an opponent, I can predict your every move every time."

"Silence you!" shouted Prozen. And the deathsaur began its destructive run once again. At the same time, Van and the others couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"I don't believe this." said Van. "He's making fun of the deathsaur."

"I would like to know where he learned to fly like that." added Raven.

"He might actually do it."-

"That's what's troubling me, Flyheight. If he wins, then he'll be our next opponent. And how can we favor against a guy who can fly around like that."-

"Just because he can fly doesn't mean that we can't beat him."-

The battle raged on against the mighty deathsaur and the agile shinobi, Isis. Despite the deathsaur's reputation for being invincible, it was not able to inflict any damage on its opponent.

"Stand still you!" shouted Prozen, angrily.

"What's wrong? Losing patience?" chuckled Isis.

"That's it! I've have enough of your ego!" The deathsaur began to charge up his charged particle gun and thrust it towards the ground. "If I can't catch you, then I'll just destroy you along with everything else!"

"Prozen! Don't!" Van pleaded.

"He means to defeat Isis by destroying everything!" said Riku. "If he fires a charged particle beam into the ground at his present magnitude, everything within a two hundred mile radius would be vaporized!"

Isis appeared before the monster and stood in front of the charged particle gun's open barrel.

"I like your style." chuckled Isis. "Attempting to destroy me by destroying everything else. Amazing what a fanatic like you will do just to win."

"DIE YOU!" Prozen fired his charged particle gun straight at the grinning shinobi. But instead, Isis threw his hand out before him and grasped hold of the powerful beam. Everything behind him was obliterated. Despite the destruction, Isis remained steadfast with that particular smirk on his face.

"Can you believe what we're seeing!" said Van, astonishingly.

"He's actually deflecting the beam from the deathsaur's charge particle gun." added Raven. "But how! How can someone be able to do that!"

"He isn't a member of the Cavendish Shinobis for nothing I guess." said Riku.

Upon the ultrasaurus and amongst both the republican and imperial forces, they watched in fear as the battle continued to take shape.

"It can't be!" said Herman.

"He's going head to head with the deathsaur!" Rudolph stated.

"But that's impossible for anyone to do!" said Irvine.

"And that's at maximum power." added Thomas. "No one can do such a thing as taking on a blast from a charged particle gun head on. He must be some sort of god!"

"A demon's more liked it!"-

Prozen could only watch on helplessly as his charged particle beam, even though at maximum power, was easily being deflected without further efforts by Isis.

"You...you can't be doing this." cried Prozen. "No one has the capability of holding off a beam of such incredible magnitude! No one!"

It was then that Isis, licking his lips with delight, thrust the energy beam back at the deathsaur. The impulse made contact with the deathsaur and the charged particle gun system began to rupture. The circuits within the charged particle system began to overload. Smoke bellowed forth from both the barrel and the converter. Prozen tried to fire another charged particle beam, but since the system was ruptured to the point where it could no longer function, attempting you use the deathsaur's main weapon was out of the question.

"Damn it!" shouted Prozen. "You rendered my main weapon useless!"

"Quit your whining." chuckled Isis.

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"-

"How! You've been deprived of your main weapon. Thus, I reach the next weakness of your so called invincible deathsaur. The deathsaur has gained a reputation for being the most feared in all of Zi. And the main reason for that is because of the effectiveness of its charged particle gun. However, because I have rendered your charged particle gun inoperable, you've lost a powerful asset that could've turned the tide of battle. Unlike the other weapons which the deathsaur is equipped with, the charged particle gun has no limits and doesn't have to be refitted. However, once deprived of its most powerful weapon, the deathsaur is no more effective than any other zoid. So in reality, it wasn't the deathsaur itself that was feared, but rather the charged particle gun that it was equipped with."-

"He's right." said Van. "That's the one thing that we all feared. It's like the deathstinger. We feared it because of such a weapon."

"It's do to the wide spread destructive force that made it so feared." Raved added. "The charged particle gun was dubbed one of the deathsaur's greatest and most untouchable weaknesses! But now that that weakness has been exploited, what good is the deathsaur in combat now!"

The deathsaur rose up above the abandoned city once again. Isis hovered ever higher and confronted the now crippled monster.

"Now that you've been deprived of your most powerful apparatus," Isis explained, "there's no threat for me to confront any further. Therefore, you are disposable." Isis began to accumulate a great amount of energy and a series of clouds began to swirl in a vortex movement above the deathsaur's head. "This is another one of my techniques which I dubbed the name Sub-zero Strike."

"I won't let you carry it out though!" chuckled Prozen. "I still have my conventional weapons!" But as he tried to deploy them, he realized that his other armaments were not functioning. "What is going on! Why can I not deploy my other weapons!"

"That's because I already deployed my attack! The Sub-zero Strike is an attack which manipulates the temperature in the atmosphere! It can reach from one to one hundred and thirty degrees below zero in less than ten seconds. This further comes to another weakness I've pointed out. Like all zoids, the deathsaur gives out a great amount of heat. Heat is what keeps a zoid alive. And because the planet Zi consist mostly of hot and humid, dry and arid, or wet climate areas, zoids have adapted to such temperatures. However, long hard winters aren't things that are experienced very much. Once you deprive a zoid of the necessary heat needed to function properly, they eventually shut down. But you didn't do enough research did you, Prozen. And because of that fatal flaw, this is the result. Now that the deathsaur has been exposed to extreme cold, it's no longer of any use than as a large paperweight." The skies cleared again and the deathsaur had turned a pale red. Frost had covered it entirely and its armaments were shut tight do to the ice that accumulated upon its surface. "I've indulged you long enough. Now this must be finished."

"What is he doing?" said Van.

"He must be ready to deploy a second attack." said Riku.

Isis raised his hand above him and began to accumulate his energy. Above him, a large ball of ice and snow began to emerge.

"Sorry about all this, Prozen." the shinobi chuckled. "But since you are of no further use, I shall eliminate you. Using the same attack I used to defeat Hiltz."

"What!" said Prozen. Everyone else was shocked to hear the news as well. "You were the one who defeated Hiltz!"

"What's wrong? Have I really said something so unusual? Then again, I never really specified who, or what was responsible for his death. Hiltz was no more of a challenge than you were. He put too much faith in the use of a weapon that he didn't realize his own weakness. And as a result, both he and the deathstinger were destroyed."-

"I don't believe it." said Van. "He defeated Hiltz!"

"He took down the deathstinger." added Raven.

"But the deathstinger was invincible wasn't it?" asked Reese.

"So was our perception on the deathsaur. But now that's changed. We were so caught up in the effectiveness of these zoids, we didn't realize that their weaknesses were so obvious."-

"Farewell Prozen!" chuckled Isis, holding a massive ice sphere above his head. "If only you weren't the core of the deathsaur itself, you could've survived. This next attack reaches to five hundred degrees below zero. That means instant death for anyone who comes in contact with it. Despite, your impeccable heat source, you can only release so much heat at one time. So not even the inner structures of the deathsaur with survive. It will freeze, core and all. Instant death for both you and the deathsaur."

"How could you!" cried Prozen. "How could you betray me like this!"

"Betrayal, you say? I've been planning to get rid of you from the start. I just wanted you to acquire the power of the deathsaur so that you could fully realize how futile it was to defeat me. Give my regards to oblivion"-

"Why is this happening to me! Why? Why! Why!"-

"ICEBERG BLITZ!" Isis thrust the ball of ice at the deathsaur. Within seconds of impact, the deathsaur was frozen solid and now a pure white. Prozen's voice was now silent within the deathsaur. Isis thrust icicle shurikens at the deathsaur and like a fragile piece of glass, the deathsaur shattered into thousands of icy shards. As they gazed upon the horror. The shards began to melt and what once was the most feared zoid in all of Zi was no more.

"I can't believe it." said Van. "It's over."

"The deathsaur has been defeated." Raven agreed.

"You're wrong!" cried Riku, from the demolished walkway. "It's only just beginning."

They suddenly remembered that there was still one who remained. And he hovered just above them. Isis gazed upon the survivors and grinned.

"Now the only one you must worry about from now on is me!" he laughed. "Now, no one can stop me! No one!"

"Except for us!" shouted Sora. His sword drawn towards his enemy.

"Then the final battle begins!"-

Now the only thing that stood between Isis and total destruction of the Zi realm was a hand full of young, determined warriors, desperate to stop his reign of terror.


	7. Battle of Supremacy

Battle of Supremacy

The confrontation between the deathsaur and Isis had ended in only a matter of minutes. What Van, Raven, or for that matter any zoid pilot on Zi could not achieve, Isis accomplished in a very short time. A single man easily thwarted the great scourge of Zi, the very monster that was responsible for wiping out the entire inhabitants of ancient Zoidians centuries before. Now, Isis reigned supreme on the battlefield and he was the only threat left to be defeated.

"Quite a sight." he said. "The greatest threat this planet ever knew, and I vanquished it within five minutes of my declaration to destroy it. That just goes to show that I cannot be defeated." It was then that Isis gazed down upon those who were left. "Oh yes, I almost forgot about you. Of course, I would forget anyone who was not worth my time to battle."

"What was that!" shouted Sora from the demolished pathway.

"Calm down, Sora." said Riku, placing his hand upon his friend's shoulder. "He's just trying to aggravate you."

"Well, it's working."-

Isis hovered down towards the demolished walkway and confronted the members of the KH crew. He smirked at them with that same grin which he always displayed in battles before.

"What's wrong, boy?" said Isis. "Have I said something that got on your nerves? Well you can't help that. I can do what I will. And I can say what I damn well please." He landed on the undamaged section of the walkway and stood not three feet away from the two key bearers. "But since I have been ordered by General Kai to do away with you, I cannot simply turn my head the other way knowing that you're still alive."

"You've gone far enough interfering with this world's affairs." Riku stated. "We have no choice, but to stop you because you have a little something that could help us find our friend."

"Yes, I've heard all about the girl whom you hold dear. I believe her name was Kairi, wasn't it."-

"You better not have hurt her!" shouted Sora.

"Hold your temper at bay, boy." said the ninja. "I only heard about her from General Kai. I've never actually seen her. All I know is that General Kai and the other superiors have ordered me to do away with you, knowing that you were a possible threat to our cause. And that's exactly what I'm going to do." Isis suddenly jumped off of the walkway and began his assault with an icicle shuriken strike. The icy daggers came flying at the five. They easily jumped off the catwalk and glided down to the rocky ground below. They looked up, waiting for the enemy to attack them head on. But as they gazed, Isis was no longer to be seen.

"Where...where did he go?" asked Mickey.

"Don't forget." said Riku. "He's a shinobi. He'll use his stealth abilities to their full advantage and try to ambush us when we least expect it."

"Stay on your guards."-

"Well, you certainly have been doing your homework haven't you!" shouted a voice. From behind a mound of rubble, Isis jumped upon the group and thrust more icicle shurikens at them from above. Sora and the others were quick to dodge the attack. Isis landed amongst his lodged daggers. "As a shinobi, I use the environment to help conceal my whereabouts. That way, the moment you drop your guard, you will be open to my attack." He gazed at Sora and Riku who stood side by side. "I allowed you to see me this once. From now on, however, I shall remain elusive to your gaze."

With those final words, Isis vanished from sight again, leaving the diminutive group spellbound. Sora, Riku, and the others made sure to tighten themselves into a circle and watched over everything. Goofy was placed in the middle with his shield placed above his head, preventing an aerial attack from above. They only saw shadows bounding from one place to the other in a random fashion. There was a dead quiet within the abandoned city and only the falling of rubble could be heard.

"Come on, Isis." Riku thought to himself. "Come out and make your move."

Suddenly, a barrage of icicle shurikens came at the group from out of nowhere. The group dodged, only to be confronted by a second barrage of shurikens. Again they rolled out of harms way. But as they attempted to go back into formation, Isis appeared again, attacking at a very fast pace.

"Sora!" cried Riku, seeing the shinobi attempting to take his friend's life. "Look out!"

"Die, key bearer!" shouted Isis, thrusting more shurikens. But as they neared, Sora held out his sword in front of him and cast a counterattack spell upon the incoming shurikens.

"Deep freeze!" cried Sora and ice shards bellowed forth from the tip of his sword. Acting as anti-missiles, they struck down each of the incoming shurikens. Isis was astounded at what he saw and landed only a few feet away from Sora.

"Impressive!" chuckled Isis. "I was unaware that you were familiar with the ice element as well. This makes the challenge a little more interesting. However, if you had just deployed the ice element at its full extent, then there's really nothing for me to fear. You are not a master like I am." Isis vanished again and the group retook their position as a tight circle. "All I have to do is take out the only members that aren't familiar with the ice element. Thus, lowering your chance of success. How successful do you think you'd be when the eyes guarding your backs are gone!" Isis appeared again. This time, he attempted to attack Riku. "Riku! Your head belongs to me!"

He thrust a barrage of icicle shurikens at the young warrior. However, Riku thrust his sword before him as well.

"It won't be that easy!" Riku uttered. "Cool off!"

A sudden burst bellowed forth from the sword and ice shards appeared, destroying all shurikens aimed at him. Isis hovered in the air, more shocked than astounded this time. He landed again before the group.

"I certainly have underestimated you and your friends, Sora." said Isis. "Another one of your comrades has the ability to use the ice element."

"Actually," Sora replied, "We all have the ability to use the ice element."

"I see. So, I guess icicle shurikens won't work on you anymore. Guess I'll have to turn the intensity of my attacks up a notch!" Isis began to glow, ice particles accumulating around him. "Now, let's see if you can stomach this attack. Iceberg Shuriken!"

Isis thrust forth his arm. But instead of icicle daggers, there were giant ice blocks coming in. Sora and Riku counterstroke with Blizzaga, but the ice shards they deployed were easily eradicated by the massive blocks of jagged ice.

"It didn't have any effect!" cried Sora.

"Dodge!" Riku instructed. They dodged the attack, but as they regained their stance, they were again confronted by Isis, who deployed a second wave of iceberg shurikens.

"Defense!" they both cried. From their swords, a counter spell was cast and the wind element bellowed forth. Acting as a protective barrier, it fended off the incoming projectiles.

"Impossible!" said Isis. "I had no idea that they were familiar with the wind element as well!"

"Apparently, you've made too big an assumption about our fighting capabilities." Riku stated.

"Apparently, I have." Isis replied. "With the level of skill you have with the wind element, I'll just have to increase the intensity of my attacks a little further!" Once again, Isis began to increase his power and prepared to deploy another attack. "This attack I call the maelstrom cannon!" Isis clicked his wrists together and fired a massive energy wave at Sora. The impact of the beam against the wind shield caused Sora to lose his balance. He realized that the shield was being warn away by the attack. He quickly dodged out of the path of the beam. The beam itself broke through the shield, but missed Sora by only a few inches. The beam made impact with the ground and a massive explosion occurred. The members of the KH group were blown away.

Sora landed against a mound of rubble. As he rose to his feet, he saw Isis standing before him. Isis grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed the young man against the mound of rubble.

"Let's see if you can use any of your tricks when I strike you at point blank!" said Isis. He placed his hand on Sora's face and began to accumulate the energy again. Sora could feel as the freezing energy began to grasp at his face. "Where are your friends now!"

"We're right here!" shouted a voice. Isis turned to see Riku coming at him. The young warrior sideswiped the ninja, kicking him in the face. Isis fell back and hit the ground, head first. He quickly regained his balance and leaped back to his feet.

"That was uncalled for." said Isis.

"Not so funny when someone sneaks up on you is it." Riku replied. He turned to his friend. "Are you alright, Sora?"

"I'm fine now. Thanks to you." Sora uttered. "I thought it was over for me back there."

"Listen, attacking him one at a time's not going to work on this guy. If we really want to beat him, we'll have to beat him at his own game."-

"But how do we do that, Riku?"-

"We have to attack him at random. Not give him a chance to recuperate."-

"I see. So we wear him down a little bit at a time."-

"What are you two babbling about! Let us continue the fight!" said Isis. "This time, I shall not hold back! It was fun playing around with you, but I have a schedule to keep!"

Isis began to power up again. This time, the ice element was stronger than ever before. Clouds began to accumulate in the air again and the skies once again grew dark in the abandoned city.

Back aboard the ultrasaurus, Herman and the others watched as the battle intensified. The clouds now reached out to where they stationed themselves and snow began to fall, little by little.

"The battle's increasing." said Herman.

"What can we do, Sir?" asked on of the attendants.

"There's not much we can do. This battle has only proven one thing. We're obsolete."-

It was then that an incoming transmission reached the bridge. It was Van calling from the battlefield.

"Herman! Can you hear me!" he said.

"We can hear you loud and clear, Van." replied Herman. "What's going on over there!"

"The battle is getting worse with every moment passing. I have a favor to ask of you!"-

"What's that!"-

"I need you to place another planetelicite shell into the gravity cannon."-

"What for?"-

"We're gonna help Sora to the extent of our abilities. The gravity cannon might not have worked on the deathsaur, but it might work on this guy."-

"What made you come to that conclusion? You saw how useless this thing was against the deathsaur. And now you expect us to use the gravity cannon against the guy who defeated the deathsaur with very little effort?"-

"It might work!"-

"You have something planned, Van?" asked Dr. D.

"I do. This guy might be powerful, but I don't think he'd be able to withstand the heavy gravity deployed by the shell. In any case, just have the shell loaded and ready when we request for it. When needed, I will have Reese give the command."-

"I understand." said Herman. "We'll do so immediately."

"Appreciated." replied Van, ending the transmission soon after.

"Prepare to load the planetelicite shell!"-

"Are you sure this will work, Herman?" asked Dr. D.

"I know Van's judgment." Herman replied. "And he's never stirred us wrong so far."

Amongst the chaos, Sora and the others made their attempt to attack the evil shinobi. Isis was still on the verge of reaching his maximum, but was cut short when Riku lunged forth with his sword.

"Damn it!" he said to himself. "Their attack came too early!"

"He's trying to use his Sub-zero Strike so he can freeze us instantly." Riku explained. "We can't allow him to deploy any of his greater attacks."

"You fools! You're only delaying the inevitable outcome! I will freeze you all!"-

Isis attacked with icicle shurikens, but the group dodged the blades with ease. Using the wind element at their disposal, they created individual shields for each and were able to withstand the blows of the icicle shurikens. However, Isis only intensified his attacks from icicles to blocks. Being harder to hold off, the KH group used dodge roll most of the time. While one member caught the attention of the shinobi, the others would attack his blind spot. Isis, however, being a shinobi, had the ability to create after images. So he too was not without his arsenals.

"Come on!" cried Goofy.

"Let's get him!" added Mickey. "We're wearing him down! Don't give up!"

"As long as we fight in a group," said Sora, "there's no way that he can have a chance to retaliate!"

"But he keeps using that after image technique." Riku stated. "He's more difficult to catch than we thought!"

"Well, there might be a way to stop him! I'll use the Stopga spell!"-

Sora thrust his sword into the air. Within seconds, Isis was caught in the bizarre spell. Not being able to move.

"What!" he cried. "The Stopga technique. One of the abilities used for the light element? He has the ability to control the light element as well!"

"I got him!" shouted Mickey. He leaped up and prepared to slam his keyblade upon the ninja's skull. But Isis only smirked and within seconds, broke himself free of the time spell. He thrust icicle shurikens at the mouse, point blank. There was no way for Mickey to avoid being impaled through the heart. But at the last minute, Sora jumped in, knocking Mickey out of harms way. As a result, the young boy received a scratch on the arm. The two landed on the ground, tumbling as they went. Both rising to their feet, Sora grasped his arm to find a small scratch streaked on his skin.

"Are you alright, Mickey?" asked Sora.

"I'm fine." replied the mouse. "But what about you? You've been injured."

"It's just a small scratch. Nothing to worry about!"-

"Sora!" cried Riku, running to his friend. He sneered at Isis.

"You fool!" chuckled Isis. "You certainly don't learn your mistakes well enough do you, Sora! Although you have learned the light element by the using the time spell, you haven't fully mastered how to concentrate your energy to maintain a strong opponent within its grasp. Haven't you learned your mistake since your trial battle with Cuchulain? The time spell can only paralyze those who are weaker than you. If your opponent is equal to you in strength, then the spell will only cause a temporary freeze and a little shock. However, if you opponent is stronger than you, then it will have little, if not, no effect." Isis began to ascend into the air. "I must admit I'm impressed. You have learned three elemental spells. Wind, ice, and time. Quite impressive for such a young warrior who isn't even twenty years old yet. Just what other techniques do you know!"

"This!" shouted Sora. He aimed his sword at Isis. Isis gazed up and saw what looked like a black bubble descend upon him.

"What is this!" he was suddenly struck with an extreme amount of gravity and was brought to his knees. Isis was stunned at this technique. "Impossible. This boy knows the gravity spell. One of the fundamental techniques used in the darkness element? He's learned the darkness element as well? But how could a mere boy be able to achieve all this knowledge!"-

"With the gravity spell, you'll be pressed into the ground like a pancake!"-

"Damn it!" Isis rose ever so slowly and tried to break the spell, but he had to make a great effort before he finally broke it. "You fool! That was too close for comfort!"

"I can always do an encore!" Sora raised his blade again and aimed at Isis, but this time Isis saw the bubble and dodged out of the way quickly. The gravity bubble fell harmlessly behind him.

"Idiot! The gravity spell is only effective if your opponent remains idle in that same spot! However, it's rendered useless if your opponent moves out of the gravitational field! So I'll make sure from now on, I'm always on the move!"-

The display of the attack, however, did not go unnoticed. Van had seen the attack and the reaction Isis had when he was trapped in the gravity field. It was all he needed to confirm his plan.

"Herman! Reese!" he called through his transmitter. "Please come in!"

"What is it, Van?" asked Herman.

"You called?" added Reese.

"It's confirmed! Isis is weak against gravity! So the gravity cannon should work fairly well!"-

"Very well! I shall confirm that!"-

"Wait, Herman! Right now, Sora, Riku, and the others are engaged in battle against Isis. We don't want to fire upon our comrades either. It's best that we wait until Isis is isolated somewhere. That's when we attack."-

"Understood!"-

"Do you still want me to give the order?" asked Reese.

"Yes, Reese." replied Van. "There may be a stage in this battle where I will have to intervene. When that time comes, I want you to take the responsibility of giving the command to fire. That is your job. No matter what happens, you must stay here and give the order. If either Raven, or myself are caught in the battle, and our zoids are beyond repair, you'll be the only one with a working transmitter."

"I understand."-

"Good luck, guys."-

"You too." Herman and Reese said in unison before ending transmission.

"It all comes down to this." Van thought to himself.

Meanwhile, as the battle raged on, Sora and the others continued to battle against the power of Isis. However, his strength was inconceivably greater than before. Isis had dropped all attempts to use stealth and fought the five head on. Using the best attacks they had, the KH group slowly boggled down the ninja.

"How in the world could these kids gain so much strength?" Isis thought to himself. "There's no way they could have improved that much." Isis finally realized what was happening. What it was that Sora and Riku had planned all along. "How could I have been so blind. It's not that they're getting stronger. I'm getting weaker. They were using their skills as a group to wear me out. Well, I won't allow this little menagerie to go any further. I will not be bereaved of my victory!" Isis flew into the air and deployed what looked like the Iceberg Shuriken technique.

"The Iceberg Shuriken again!" said Riku. "Everyone dodge!"

The group evaded the incoming blocks of ice. However, these ice projectiles, instead of absorbing into the ground, they exploded into millions of shards and spread about. The KH group could not evade the shards. As the shards made impact, they instantly froze whatever they touched. As the icy clouds cleared, Isis looked to see that his attack was successful. Sora and his friends had been trapped in the ice, whether it be a leg, an arm, or half of the body.

"This attack." said Sora. 'It's not the Iceberg Shuriken technique!"

"You're correct!" chuckled Isis. "It isn't the Iceberg Shuriken! It's opening stages are meant to look like the Iceberg Shuriken technique, but it's finishing effect is something quite different. The Iceberg Shuriken is meant to take impact with its target and instantly freeze them. However, as a result, its only a one chance attack. If the block misses its intended target, the result is just a waste of energy for me. However, this technique is a little different. Instead of an instant freeze, the blocks explode on impact, causing thousands, if not millions, of little ice shards to spread over a wide range. And it is the shards that instantly freeze. Now, although the result isn't instant death, it cripples my opponent, depriving them of full functional movement of their body, or prevents them from running out of the intended space which I wish to target. That's when I can finish off my nemesis with a second attack. This technique is what I like to call Tundra Canister. Quite an inventive name wouldn't you say." Isis folded his arms in front of him and sighed.

"Oh no!" said Van. "Sora's in trouble!"

"Now what will I finish you off with?" Isis pondered for a while. Then he pounded his right fist into his left hand. "I have it! I'll use the same technique I used to cripple the Deathsaur!" Isis began to accumulate his strength in the same fashion as he did when he fought the deathsaur. The clouds spun around in a vortex style. A clear sky up above and dark clouds surrounding the eye.

"Oh no!" said Riku. "He's gonna use the Sub-zero Strike! And this time we can't get out of the way!"

"The Sub-zero Strike managed to freeze the deathsaur into submission. However, because you fools aren't protected by any type of barrier, you'll freeze instantly. Instant death for such meddlesome brats like you! And in this particular scenario, there will be no running away!"-

"I'll use fire element!" said Sora. But his body had been hit by several shards. So he was nearly completely encased in ice. And because of the cold, he couldn't summon enough strength to deploy a fire attack. None of the KH members were warm enough to deploy any spells properly.

"Enjoy the warmth of the sun, through the eye of this storm, while you still can." chuckled Isis. "Because it'll be the last bit of heat you'll ever enjoy in this life."

"I won't allow it!" roared a voice. Isis looked to see the Genobreaker appear before him. Raven commenced with raising the power of his charged particle gun. "I'll be the one to finish you off!" Isis only chuckled at Raven's attempt.

"Raven. Raven. What are you trying to prove? You know that you're no match for me?"-

"I may not be a match for you, but that doesn't mean that I won't fight you!" The barrel of the charged particle gun began to glow. "I'll kill you!"

The massive energy beam from the particle gun bellowed forth against Isis, but the ninja was quick to react.

"You are a mindless fool!" Isis chuckled, deploying his Maelstrom Cannon. The two energy waves clashed, but it was obvious that Raven was the weaker of the two. His energy wave began to fall back. "If you ever intend to confront me, you must first close the gap between the obvious difference in our powers!"

Raven realized that to stay in the cockpit of the Genobreaker meant certain death. He quickly opened the hatch and jumped out. He made a hard landing on a rubble mound and rolled down its side. In mid-air, the Genobreaker was overwhelmed by the immense power and was destroyed instantly. Raven rose to his feet ever so slowly, but collapsed again.

"What a fool!" Isis bellowed. He then turned his attentions back towards Sora and the others. "Now where was I, before I was so rudely interrupted! Oh yes, I was on the verge of making ice sculptures wasn't I!" Isis once again began to increase his power and concentrated on where he would cause the instant freeze. "Prepare to be iced. And to start off, I'll begin making a popsicle out of you, Sora! You will be the first to taste the full extent of the Sub-zero Strike's power. Because the energy is so intense, you will actually see the instant death approach you. What better way for someone like you to die than to see what will kill you!"

From the sky a sudden chill began to rise. The KH members could feel as the atmosphere began to freeze more and more with every passing second. Suddenly, a beam of blue and white came raining down upon the KH team.

"Oh no you don't!" cried Van, suddenly driving his zoid above the beam. The Blade Liger took the attack head on. Zeke, the silver organoid, took hold of Van and both jumped out of the cockpit. The liger itself was frozen instantly, becoming the sacrifice to the attack. As it landed on the ground, because it was frozen solid, the liger shattered into millions of shards. Van could only watch as his prized zoid crumbled before his eyes. Tears filled his eyes, and he collapsed to his knees and wept. Zeke nudged him on the cheek. Van patted his faithful silver dragon on the snout.

"Thank you, Zeke." said Van. Zeke growled softly. He then ascended back into the air to retrieve Fiona who watched the entire battle from the standing control tower.

"Thank you, Van." said Riku. "You saved our lives."

"In battle, sacrifices must be made."-

"Many a great sacrifices." said Raven stumbling over. "My zoid... It's gone...like Shadow... I have...nothing."

"Raven." said Van, sympathetically.

"I...I don't want to be alone...again."-

Raven fell to the ground, but Van managed to catch him in his arms. Raven's head lay heavily upon his former rival's shoulder. Van embraced him tightly as if trying to comfort him. Tears came down Raven's face and Van realized that his own sacrifice was not as great as his rival's.

"You still have friends here, Raven." Van whispered. "You have us."

"Both of us." said a voice. Van looked to see Fiona kneeling next to them. She embraced both Van and Raven. "You will always have friends."

Raven continued to weep. His grief caused Van and Fiona to embrace him even more. They had found it their duty to comfort one in such pain. For a while, Raven felt a sense of relief that he had people that respected him for who he was as a person. And for a moment, there was happiness between the three. Sora and the others looked on with smiles of sadness on their faces.

"Friends to the end." said Riku.

"Like us, right?" added Sora. The two smiled at each other.

However, their happiness was broken by the maniacal of Isis who hovered in the air watching the entire event.

"How convenient!" chuckled Isis. "All the little bugs have gathered in one place!" Everyone looked up to see that Isis had concentrated more strength and was prepared to fired another blast from his cannon in the sky. "Now I can freeze you all with no further interruptions! At least you can spend the rest of eternity posed as you are. In each others arms!"

"You bastard!" cried Van as he stood up. Raven staggered to his feet, his eyes still dampened with tears.

"You...you won't get away with this." he shouted.

"Oh, but I already have!" said Isis. "And without your zoids, you are virtually powerless to make a difference!"

"That's what you think!" cried Sora, angrily. With all his strength and anger, he threw his sword above his head and from the blade a large ball of fire bellowed forth. The ball came at Isis.

"It can't be!" He tried to dodge, but the ball of fire struck him and Isis was burned a great deal. He screamed at the top of his lungs. Despite not being on fire for more than a couple of seconds, he cried as if his body had been engulfed in flames. "It burns! It burns!"

"What's wrong with him?" asked Mickey. "The fire didn't even cause any damage that was remotely dangerous."

"I know that, Mickey." replied Sora. "However, Isis is of the masters of the ice element. And the only true counter spell that can cause devastating effects against ice is fire."

"So he can't endure fire then?" asked Riku.

"Exactly. His weakness is no different from the Ice Titan whom I fought years before. His same weakness was the fire element. That's the one element that ice can't withstand!"

"Damn it! That boy had taken grasp of the fire element?" Isis thought to himself. "If he's managed to learn the fire element as well, then I am put at a disadvantage. I won't be able to make an effective shot without him countering with a fire spell. And the way they saw how I reacted, they'll immediately know that's my ultimate weakness. I have no choice but to use long range attacks on them! Something that'll be effective at long range and I won't have to get close to them, fearing that I may get struck by a fire spell again!" Isis suddenly grinned. "And I know just what attack to use!"

Sora and the others saw as Isis flew further away from them.

"Look at that." said Riku. "He's distanced himself away from us."

"That means he knows that we know about his weakness." Sora replied. "So he intends on using a long ranged attack against us so he doesn't have to fear about being struck by a fire attack. And at that range I wouldn't be able to strike at him!"

The party looked on as Isis began to reveal his full strength. Isis raised his hand above his head and upon his palm, a great sphere of ice and snow appeared. Small at first, the snow sphere began to grow ever so slowly.

"I'm going to use the one attack which I ignored, believing that it would be too great to use on you" said Isis. "But now, because of what you have inflicted on me, I only wish that I had used it sooner. It's the ultimate attack in my arsenal of skills. And I have given it the name Glacier Cannon. Unlike the technique I used to defeat Hiltz, called the Iceberg Blitz, which instantly freezes the intended target, the Glacier Cannon has a wide spread effect. It will not only instantly freeze the intended target, but it will also freeze everything and everyone within a ten mile radius. A perfect way to permanently do away with you miserable little cankers!"

Meanwhile, back at the ultrasaurus, Colonel Herman had broken into a cold sweat of fear. Collapsing in his chair, he realized that it was over.

"He's really going to use that thing!" he said. "And this time, none of us are safe from his wrath!"

Suddenly, a transmission came through and the face of Reese appeared on the screen.

"It's not over yet!" she said. "Isis is definitely going to use his ultimate attack, but as a result, he has isolated himself a good mile away from the others! This would be a perfect time to open fire with the gravity cannon!"

"Right!" said Herman, remembering Van's request. "Control room stat!"

"We're already on it!" Colonel Shuvaultz said from the control room. "Power levels to maximum. Intended target locked on. All systems green. Ready to commence firing in 5...4...3...2...1! Awaiting order!"

"FIRE!"-

From the barrel, a massive boom bellowed from the cannon and the planetelicite shell went screaming into the air towards the shinobi, who was still unaware of the incoming projectile.

Sora and the others could only watch as this great sphere of ice had grown from five to twenty times its original size.

"Is he really planning on using that thing on us?" asked Sora.

"Without a doubt!" replied Riku. "And there's no way that we'd be able to dodge in time. If the sound wave doesn't finish us off, the sudden drop in climate will!"

"Now prepare to die!" Isis cried. He threw his hands back ready to thrust the ball forward. But as he did, Isis suddenly heard a strange screaming sound coming from above. He gazed to see a planetelicite shell releasing its element and the gravity came upon him, a hundred times greater than that used by Sora. "No! It cannot be!" The gravity pressed itself upon Isis and Isis was completely overwhelmed by the weight. At the same time, the ice ball he created, began to press down on him. The gravity bubble touched the ground and from within it, there was a massive explosion as the great ice ball fell upon its creator. The only that Sora and the others could hear was the terrified scream of their enemy.

"Oh my God!" said Riku.

"A victim of both the gravity cannon and his own attack." added Sora.

"There's no way he can survive that attack." said Van. "So much pressure and power at once."

"A final farewell and terrible death to an enemy." Raven explained. Suddenly, there was a great explosion and a white cloud of ice ad snow bellowed in the bubble only to be pressed back down into the ground by the extreme gravity.

"That must have been one powerful explosion if ice clouds were able to bellow in the sky with that kind of gravity." said Reese.

As the dust settled and the gravity field had diminished, Sora and the others went to observe the damage inflicted. As they peered over the ruins, they observed a large crater, coated in solid ice. In the center, there was a block of ice still standing. The party entered the crater, stepping upon the glaciered surface. Sora nearly slipped as he walked upon the ground, but Riku managed to catch him.

"Are you alright, Sora?" asked Riku.

"That would have been a nasty fall." Sora replied. "Thanks, Riku."

"Gawrsh." said Goofy. "It looks like winter in here."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Donald added. "The ground is frozen solid. You'd probably have an easier time breaking through reinforced concrete."

"After seeing this devastation today," Fiona stated, "I doubt that there will be any further attempt to destroy, or take over this world. We may even expect a prolong period of peace."

"I don't think anyone could've survived that attack." said Van.

"It was too powerful an attack to withstand at point blank range." added Raven, who was slumped at Van's side, his former rival trying to keep him on his feet. "He had at least a ton of ice above his head along with how many tons of artificial gravity. That was too great an impact, even for him."

"We'll soon find out." said Mickey.

The party reached the center of the crater, to the monument of ice which still stood. Gazing into its glossy surface, they saw the form of Isis, fixed in the same mangled way as he tried desperately to live at the last minute. There was a look of fear in his eyes. A definite sign that he had died a horrible death indeed.

"It must have been terrible for him to die in such a way." said Fiona.

"Still, he was the one who brought it on himself." Raven stated. "I guess what they say is true. The deeds you commit always resurface in some point of your life."

"Even so," Van began, "no one ever deserves to die in such a way. To suffer while dying is something that no one needs to experience."

"Even though its the last experience they'd ever have in their life."-

"So it's over right?" asked Sora. "We beat him and so we won, right?"

"That's right." replied Sora. "I must say that he put up one hell of a fight, even at the end. However, he's just one of many antagonists who wish to exploit the universe's resource."

It was then that a bright flash of light began to stir within the pillar. The party backed off as they saw this dim light grow brighter and brighter with every second passing.

"It can't be!" said Sora.

"Could it be that he survived?" asked Riku.

"No! He couldn't have!" Van uttered.

Suddenly, the ice began to break and the light began to peer through the cracks that developed. The ice began to further crumble and break and the ice fell to the ground in great amounts.

"I don't believe it!" said Donald. "He survived."

"Now don't come to any conclusions yet, Donald." said Sora. "We don't know that for sure."

"Then how do you explain what we're seeing, kid." Raven stated.

Within seconds, the icy block shattered into thousands of pieces and there before the group, a glowing apparition hovered before them. The body of Isis had been resurrected. The body stood in an upright position, but remained fixed above the air. Hands at their sides, feet together, the body hovered closer to the group. Just then, the black eyes opened up in a ray of light.

"So we meet again." the apparition uttered, in a seemingly darker and more sinister voice.

"That voice." Riku uttered. "That's not Isis's."

"I have taken over the body of Isis so that I may pass the message along."-

"I recognize that voice." said Sora. "That's...General Kai!"

"Correct." replied the voice. "I am General Kai, leader of the Cavendish Shinobis. I must congratulate you, Sora and Riku, for having done the impossible. You should be honored. No one has been able to confront the members of the Cavendish Shinobis and live. Let alone emerge victorious. But you have done so. Therefore, you have protected that realm. However, this is only the beginning."

"What do you have planned, you sicko!" Riku demanded. "We know all about your little plot! You're only doing to for your own amusement! Sneer told us about your devious little plan back at Traverse Town!"

"You might say that we're testing you, to coin the fraise. We were hoping that you would endure long enough to save your friend, Kairi. But at the same time, we expect that you would change the perspective of your cause."-

"What do you mean?"-

"Further detail will come later. For now, I expect you to try and figure that out for yourselves. At the same time, figure out what our intentions are. You have only been told one side of the perspective. And there are flaws in that particular hypothesis. I would suggest that you reflect of what both your allies and your enemies are trying to achieve."-

"We know what you're trying to achieve! You intend to take over this world and all other worlds just to expand your own borders! You want to beat them into submission! I know how guys like you think! I should know! I was once like you before, years ago!"-

"And what was your goal when you were an antagonist like me?"-

Riku was left speechless. How could he say that he had turned to the side of evil in order to save the one's he cherished. Riku knew that by being deceived in such a way by the forces of evil, what he thought would be a righteous cause ended up only blinding him in denial.

"It's not so easy a topic to base immediate assumptions on is it, Riku." said the voice of Kai. "What happens to be one man's evil is another man's justice." It was then that the body of Isis began to crack.

"What's going on?" asked Sora.

"He's gonna crumble." Mickey replied.

"You speak from this perspective now." said the voice. "But it will change eventually. That is if you manage to survive the next challenge. You have taken down one member of the Cavendish Shinobis, but there are still six others to find and defeat. And believe me, they are far more dangerous than Isis. The weakness of Isis is the reason why he remained at the bottom of the hierarchy. I guarantee that you won't survive the next member. So you might as well start reconsidering defeat, and give up trying to rescue you female companion. There is no way that you'll succeed passed the next of the Dragon Ninjas."

"We will continue to fight and we will win!" shouted Riku. "We will rescue Kairi, no matter what the price!"

"A meaningless effort!" the body continue to crack and the light from within intensified. "Even though you have saved this world from our first assault, this won't be our last attempt to take it over. Soon there will be others to take our place and overwhelm the people of this realm. Your efforts were in vain."-

"But as long as I draw breath, I won't stop until Kairi is safe with us! And as long as I have hot blood flowing through my veins, I will make sure that the worlds we save will be protected."-

"I side by you, Riku!" said Sora.

"We will fight to protect!" added Mickey.

"We will save these worlds!" shouted Donald and Goofy.

"I shall fight for my home as long as I live!" cried Van.

"To the death if necessary!" Raven said as well.

"And by our words we will stand!" Fiona stated.

"That's right!" chuckled the voice. "Let your blood boil! For I will spill that hot blood and bathe in it!" The apparition began to crumble even more. "You will never succeed! You will fail! I assure you that much!"

With that final word, the body shattered into millions of ice shards and spilled to the ground, scattering about the feet of the KH group and their allies. From amongst the shards, a small disk fell. It landed on the ground and rolled to Sora's feet. Sora picked up the disk and gazed at it.

"This must be the information we need." he said.

"The first clue needed to locate Lord Arakis and Kairi." added Riku.

"Just one clue closer."-

But that was not the only surprise for the two key bearers. They found themselves suddenly engulfed by a strange blue energy. The others backed off slightly, not knowing what was going on. As the light faded, both Riku and Sora felt enlightened. The two realized that they had achieved new abilities. Riku had learned Iceberg Shuriken and Sora gained the Tundra Canister.

As the group rejoined their allies at the ultrasaurus, there was a great cry of happiness and joy. The great evil of Zi had been vanquished and peace was once again spread throughout the planet.

"We've succeeded in winning." said Herman. "Congratulations to you all."

"Excellent work." added Colonel Shuvaultz.

"Thank you, Sir." Van replied, giving a salute.

"Old enemies and new allies have gathered to protect this world." Herman continued. "Raven and Reese, you have my thanks."

"It was the best course of action we could take." said Reese, placing her hand on Raven's shoulder. The two gazed into each other's eyes and smiled.

"And I guess we must thank you and your friends the most, Sora." said Herman. "You and your friends have done the impossible. If it wasn't for you guys, we probably would have been wiped out by now."

"Think nothing of it." said Sora.

"Well, now that we have successfully protected this world," Riku intervened, "it's best we continue with our own mission."

"Right."-

"Thank you very much you guys." said Van, shaking the hands of both Riku and Sora.

"What will you guys do now?" asked Sora.

"The one thing we can do. Peace can never fully be realized as long as the Empire is there to threaten us. So we will continue to fight against them so long as they intend to destroy our world."-

"Then we wish you the best of luck." Riku uttered. With a final farewell, the two parties went their separate ways.

Upon reaching the gummi ship, which had been refitted and refueled, thanks to the help of the Guardian Force, Sora took out the disk and placed it into the portable decoder, given by Sneer before their departure from Traverse town.

"Boy! These guys certainly have a complex coding system don't they." said Riku. Within seconds, the message was decoded and the next destination was determined.

_Remain in contact with sixth member, comrade Horus, Master of the water element. He is set out to take over the dimensional world codenamed "Wing Realm." His objective is to take over that world and confiscate any needed resources. You may request reinforcements if necessary._

"The Wing Realm, eh?" asked Sora.

"That's right." said Riku. "That's where we'll find our next target and our next clue."

"Hey... fellas." Goofy uttered. "There's someone outside the ship."

The gang looked to see Van and Zeke standing outside the gummi. Mickey opened the cockpit.

"Hey, Van." said Sora, jumping out of the cockpit. "What brings you back so soon?"

"I want you to do me a favor." said Van. "Knowing that the war is over and that you're trying to save other worlds, I want you to have something. I want you to take Zeke along for the ride."

"Are you sure? Isn't he your best buddy?"-

"I know, but I think traveling to other worlds might be good for him." Van turned to Zeke. "Is that alright with you, buddy?" Zeke only growled softly as if to say 'that's fine with me.'

"We'll make sure to take good care of him while he's away." said Riku from the cockpit. "We'll make sure to bring him back safely."

"Thank you." replied Van. He gazed up at Zeke, tears coming down his face. "Bye, buddy! Take care! And be good!"

As the gummi ship left the world of Zi behind, the KH group realized that they had made new friends and gained new allies. So wishes of their safety was made. Riku sat, pondering silently to himself.

"What did Kai mean when he said our perspective will change?"-

The gummi ship accelerated its boosters and at a speed exceeding the speed of light, the party ventured towards its next destination.


	8. Fall of the Sanc Kingdom

Fall of the SancKingdom

The year is After Colony 195. As the year had progressed to its present state, Operation Meteor, the attempt to take over the earth sphere, had in most ways failed. Though the Gundams had seen the fall of the former United Earth Sphere Alliance, their actions and mistakes made in the past allowed the opportunity for new military powers to rise. The Oz organization, once responsible for manufacturing military weapons within the former alliance, had now taken control of the earth sphere. Thanks in large measure to Oz's leader, Treize Khushrenada. Treize also acted on behalf of the Romefeller Foundation, an aristocratic organization who was responsible for the financial backbone of both Oz and the former alliance. However, the situation had changed once again. Treize had been dismissed of his position within Oz and Romefeller, and a new representative, Duke Dermail, took over as leader of the Romefeller Foundation. However, because many members of Oz paid their respects only to Treize, there was no true figure to help keep the organization united. Duke Dermail, hoping to create a new era for the Romefeller Foundation, sent mobile dolls, which were unmanned mobile suits, to earth as to help eliminate all areas of dispute within the earth sphere. And the greatest obstacle that lay before Romefeller's path was the Sanc Kingdom. Under the rule of Princess Relena Peacecraft, this independent country promoted total pacifism under its order. Because of this policy, many members of the former Oz, who were loyal to Treize, flocked to the borders of the Sanc Kingdom, hoping to seek refuge. Romefeller, finding this as a sign that that nation was freely harboring rebels, used it as an excuse to overthrow the regime. Thus, as the battle would commence that day, a new threat would come unexpectedly from out of nowhere. The likes of which neither earth, nor space had ever seen before.

Appearing off the coast of the Sanc Kingdom, Romefeller's military forces began their deployment. Carriers deployed their mobile dolls while the naval power sent in its special aquatic units, consisting mostly of Pisces and Cancers to bombard the coast with missiles. The Sanc Kingdom's imperial guard, under the command of Captain Lucrezia Noin, and the Maguanot Corp, lead by Quatre Reberba Winner, made ready on the front line to face the bulk of Romefeller's military strength.

"I only hope that Miss Relena will forgive those who try to protect the Sanc Kingdom." Noin thought to herself. "Romefeller sees us as a threat. And they will do whatever necessary to eliminate the kingdom's influence."

"We must fight on!" cried Quatre. "To protect this nation."

"You heard Master Quatre!" added Commander Rasheed of the Maguanot. "We must fight on!"

The battle grew intense for the next few hours. However, despite their efforts, even the bravery of the Maguanot Corp. And the Sanc Kingdom Imperial Guard were no match for the overwhelming force of the Romefeller Foundation's military power.

"Damn!" said Quatre. "They just keep coming!"

"There are backup troops on the way!" said Noin. "Be on your guard!"

"It looks like we're fighting another losing battle then. As it should be."-

"What about Heero?"-

"He's using the Epyon to fight Romefeller's mobile dolls that infiltrated into the interior of the Sanc Kingdom."-

Meanwhile, within the Sanc Kingdom, Relena watched as her beloved nation was being destroyed little by little by the unrelenting forces of Romefeller.

"All this because of what we had done to help the members of the Treize Faction." she thought.

"Quite a magnificent sight wouldn't you say, Miss Relena?" said a voice from behind. Relena turned to see Dorothy Catalonia standing in the doorway. "Isn't it magnificent to see how much those people are fighting out there for you and your ideals."

"I thought I told you to evacuate with the rest of the students and staff?"-

"Oh, but I couldn't do that knowing that you were still here observing the battle first hand. Don't you find it inspirational that the Sanc Kingdom is doing everything in its power to protect your ideals. Even when it means taking up arms to protect those ideals. I believe that taking up arms to defend itself is quite undaunted wouldn't you say?"-

"I have no time for your war hobbies, Dorothy!" Relena gazed in disgust at her fellow student. "I don't believe that taking up arms will help obtain true peace."

"But what you don't realize is that type of idealism is something that can never truly be achieved. Humans are like a fighting animal. Unless you are able to defend yourself with military power, you would easily fall to such fighting animals. Both you and I know that, Miss Relena." Dorothy turned with a smirk on her face. "You can use this situation as an opportunity to request military aid from your allies. If you do that, then members of the Treize Faction and the former alliance will flock to your rescue."-

"That is the type of action I'm not willing to take!"-

At the same time, in the depths of space, Zechs Merquise was making his way to Earth. Hoping to arrive in time and try to protect the Sanc Kingdom. However, because of the distance between Peacemillion and Earth, it would take until nightfall for him to arrive.

"I only hope that the Sanc Kingdom will last until I arrive." he thought to himself. "I hope I'm not too late."

But as he made his run towards the earth, he saw something speed passed him at an extraordinary rate of speed. It looked like a cruiser, but unlike any he'd ever seen before. It looked like a primitive fighter, but bulkier on the side. There was a bubble dome placed on top of it.

"That ship." Zechs uttered to himself. "What is that?" He looked inside to cockpit while it sped by in a split second. Within the cockpit, he saw what looked like five individuals conducting activity within it. "I wonder why I wasn't able to pick up their signal until the moment I saw them." He could only watch as the little ship made its way down to Earth.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, things weren't looking up for the efforts of the Sanc Kingdom defenders. Heavy casualties had been suffered, their resources dwindling, and still they had to confront an everlasting wave of mobile dolls.

"We won't last much longer." said Rasheed.

"But we must keep fighting." Quatre replied. "We have to uphold Miss Relena's ideals. For the sake of our future!"

"If we must fight to the last man," Noin stated as she struck down another Virgo, "then we will do it knowing that we put all our heart and soul into protecting this nation."

At the same time, within Romefeller's high military command overseeing the battle, the commanders were pleased with the results they were getting.

"Excellent!" said the admiral. "We've managed to break through the defenses of the Sanc Kingdom! Did they really think that they were a match for the bulk of Romefeller's military force!" Just then, one of the soldiers over looking the battle from the bridge, came running to the admiral.

"Admiral! I think you better come take a look at this!" he cried.

"What is it?" asked the admiral.

"I don't know, Sir."-

The admiral accompanied the soldier to the bridge. There beyond the horizon, just off the coast of the Sanc Kingdom, a strange object began to appear out of the water.

"What in the hell is that?" he said.

The object did not go unnoticed by both sides. Soldiers gave a temporary cease fire when they saw the object appear from underneath the ocean. It was in fact a large body of water that began to hover into the air. As it breeched out of the water, it took the form a perfect sphere. Many looked on in terror, seeing this massive sphere of water suddenly appear out of the sea. It hovered there for five minutes, waves glittering on its surface.

"W...what is that?" asked Quatre.

"I don't know." replied Noin.

"I've never seen anything like it." said Relena, watching from the observatory of the Sanc Kingdom University Institution.

"Is it Romefeller's new weapon?" thought Dorothy. "Why wasn't I ever informed of such a thing."

Suddenly, from out of the large sphere, a series of energy beams came bellowing out in a barrage and struck down every mobile suit and mobile doll. Immediately, both sides realized that neither were safe from the watery sphere. It had come for the soul purpose of dispensing with all surrounding it.

"Shoot that thing down!" the Admiral ordered. Immediately, the mobile dolls began to attack the sphere. But as they approached, sharp watery projectiles bellowed out and hit their intended targets. The mobile dolls, with no way to defend themselves, fell like flies before the monstrous sphere.

Within seconds of the first wave's depletion, clouds began to hover ominously over Romefeller's fleet.

"What is this, Admiral?" asked one of the soldiers.

"A storm?" the Admiral replied, bewilderedly.

But as the rain fell, it was soon realized that it wasn't ordinary rain falling. The rain was traveling at such a high speed velocity, that they acted more like bullets. They struck the fleet and all mobile doll carriers. And all fell victim to the rain. The wind picked up and a maelstrom began to bellow, with high winds and freak thunder and lightning. The waves reached fifty feet high and crashed upon the vessels.

Noin and the others watched as this horrific sight took place. It was strange indeed that the storm was only taking its toll on Romefeller's forces. Along the coast of the Sanc Kingdom, the waters were still calm and the sun still shined.

"What kind of storm is that?" asked Noin. "That rain is falling so fast, it's actually shooting down the mobile suits!"

"There's no way pure water can just rip through a steel hull like that!" Quatre replied. "The only way it can cause that sort of damage is if it was traveling at high speed. And I know for a fact that rain doesn't naturally fall like that."

In only a matter of minutes, the might fleet of Romefeller had been vanquished. The grandest ships had sunk to the bottom, with all souls still aboard. The storm suddenly disappeared and only the great aquatic sphere was left. Hovering before the demolished fleet and the Sanc Kingdom.

"I don't believe it." said Relena. "The entire fleet destroyed by a storm?"

"I've...I've never known a storm to do that." said Dorothy. "To completely destroy Romefeller's fleet and leave not one ship in tact?"

"Quite an impressive bit of work wouldn't you say?" chuckled a voice from behind. The two young ladies turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the doorway. He was a tall, dark man with long flowing hair. He was dressed in a dark blue cloak. As he stepped into the light, he took the hood of the cloak and covered his head. Only a few locks of his long hair flowed down.

"Who are you?" asked Relena.

"I am the one responsible for that aquatic chaos out there." he said. "Isn't that a splendid sight? To see one like myself use such skill to vanquish an enemy."

"I find nothing splendid about it! You have just taken the lives of many! Despite their hostilities against the Sanc Kingdom, there was no reason for you to wipe them out completely! Why would you do such a thing!"-

"Why not! The lives of humans mean nothing to me!"-

"How can you say that!"-

"Quite easily!" He began to walk towards the two girls. "Humans need to be eliminated. They want everything done the way they want it. Conditioned so that everything benefits them and no one else. That is why a worthless species like you cannot be allowed to thrive." He suddenly grabbed Relena by the throat and began to squeeze. The girl fell to her knees as she felt the grip tighten.

"Miss Relena!" cried Dorothy. But the man thrust forth his arm and slammed Dorothy again the wall with incredible force.

"I can easily end your life by tightening my grasp around your throat!" He chuckled. Relena began to lose consciousness. The man suddenly released her and Relena fell to the ground coughing harshly. "But I don't feel like killing you. There wouldn't be any fun in that. I intend to take out the leaders last because I like them to see how futile it is to stand against me. I will expand our borders to Earth and space of this realm. And there's nothing that you, nor anyone else can do about it!"

"What do you plan on doing?" asked Relena.

"I intend to take this world for the empire."-

"The...Empire?"-

"The new power arising! Once I have taken over this world, the Empire will gain yet another dimensional realm to deprive resources of!" The man walked to the window and gazed at the sphere he created. "Do you know how powerful water is? Of course you do. You've seen it first hand. Certainly, a mere drop of water isn't enough to hurt you. But try accelerating its speed to 500 mph. Then you have a lethal projectile."

"How is it possible for someone to manipulate water like that?" asked Relena, rubbing her throat.

"Quite easily, my dear." The man snapped his fingers and from a paper cup on Relena's desk, the water began to hover in the air, still shaped like the cup. "When you have the skills needed, you can do anything you can put your mind to."

He snapped his fingers again and the water projectile slammed into the wall at a very high speed, busting a hole through the wall.

"You might as well get used to the idea of meeting a sorry end!" he chuckled. "I will first use my great sphere to reek havoc upon the colonies. Once that happens, I will use it to eliminate all on Earth. And because earth has so much water, I can easily refit myself." He turned away from the two girls and headed towards the door. "That's the one disadvantage about living on a well hydrated planet. It makes it easy for someone like me to gain the quick advantage! I will use the bulk of my Aquatic Fortress to destroy this nation!"

"I cannot allow you to do that?" shouted Dorothy, slowly standing to her feet. She drew out a concealed gun from beneath her blouse. "The only reason why you fight is so that you can enjoy the sight of death and destruction. If our deaths are only meant to entertain you, then I have a well established excuse to end your life."

"Then, why do you hesitate?" asked the man. He turned towards Dorothy. "A person like yourself, who enjoys battle a well as I, shouldn't waver when it comes to ending the life of another. Or is it because of what you have seen that you are unable to pull the trigger. Fearing that I may be some sort of god." Suddenly, the man thrust out his hand and a powerful sonic boom bellowed forth, knocking Dorothy off her feet. She once again slammed into the wall. The man gazed at her. "In reality, I am a god in this world. A god of death!"

He turned away once again and exited out of the room. Relena ran over to Dorothy, who had been knocked out.

"Are you alright?" she cried. "Dorothy?"

Dorothy slowly opened her eyes and looked about.

"W...what happened?" she muttered.

"We have to stop that guy some how." Relena stated. She grabbed Dorothy's arm and placed it over her neck. She carried her fellow student out of the facility and into the chaos awaiting.

The two young ladies did see utter chaos indeed. The great Aquatic Fortress was now working its way over the Sanc Kingdom. This time, both mobile dolls and defenders of the nation gathered around hoping that they could stop the monstrous sphere in its tracks. But the Aquatic Fortress only gained mass as it consumed more water. Hovering over the kingdom like a watery moon, it worked its way over to the center of the Sanc Kingdom.

In the mobile suits, Quatre and the Maguanot corp. did all in their power to stop the sphere from advancing any further. But despite the bombs and the bullets that struck at it. Nothing could harm its glossy surface.

"Nothing's working on this thing!" cried Quatre.

"We can't give up now!" said Noin. "It has to have some sort of weakness."

"But what if it doesn't?"-

"It must. Everything has a weakness!"-

It was then, as they continued to fire at the massive water sphere, the Aquatic Fortress retaliated with unexpected force. Firing a barrage of powerful water spouts, it shot down many of the mobile suits that were surrounding it. Many of the mobile suits and dolls exploded on impact with the spouts. Rain projectiles spurted out and struck at random suits, piercing through the armor as if it were cheese. The mobile suits fell in the cities and towns of the Sanc Kingdom like flies.

"There must be some way of taking this thing down." said Noin. But as she flew around the ball of water, a spout sprang out and struck her. Noin went crashing to the ground. She maintained enough boost to make a safe landing onto the ground.

"Miss Noin!" cried Quatre. "Miss Noin are you alright!"

"I'm fine, Quatre." she uttered.

"I'm coming down to get you."-

The gundum Sandrock landed only a few yards from the fallen, white Taurus suit. Quatre jumped out of his mobile suit and ran over to Noin, who managed to crawl out of her cockpit with only a few scratches.

"You didn't have to do that, Quatre." she said.

"I find it my obligation to help all my friends." replied Quatre.

"Oh, Quatre."-

Without warning, a spout blue out and struck the gundam. Sandrock's entire top was blown off and the mobile suit fell to the ground upon some abandoned buildings.

"Sandrock!" cried Quatre.

The two could only gaze at the mobile suit which now lay in ruins. They couldn't believe that, despite the fact that Romefeller's entire military force had been eliminated, the Sanc Kingdom would still fall.

"Quatre! Miss Noin!" cried a voice. The two turned to see Relena and Dorothy approaching them.

"Miss Relena!" cried Quatre. "Are you alright?"

"What happened to you?" asked Noin.

Relena lay Dorothy down on the ground and wiped herself off.

"I know who it is that's responsible for that monstrosity." said Relena. Quatre and Noin looked at her, stunned.

"You do?" asked Quatre.

"Who?" added Noin.

"I don't know what his name was, or where he came from." Relena explained. "But all I know is that he has the ability to manipulate water."

"But how can anyone do something like that?" Quatre pointed up to the ever growing sphere above their heads.

"I can't explain how he did it. All I know is he can do it very accurately! He managed to take water from my cup, in my office, and used it so effectively, that it even blew a hole into the wall."-

"So that's how those water spouts are able to break through the armor of the mobile suits so effectively." said Noin. "They've been accelerated in speed."

"But I thought the further water travels in mid air, its form and strength diminishes." said Quatre.

"That's the thing. Because this guy can manipulate water, he can concentrate on it so that the spouts don't lose either their form, or there effective strength. That's why the water stays in a column form instead of having that same effect when shot out of a garden hose."-

Suddenly, from out of the blue another mobile suit was shot out of the air. It was a large mobile suit and it began to plummet down to where the four were standing.

"That mobile suit..." said Quatre.

"But that's the..." added Noin. It was the Epyon that had been shot down and was now crashing towards them.

"Get out of the way!" cried Quatre. The four ran out of the way as the damaged Epyon fell to the ground. It skidded across the ground, soon crashing into more buildings. The four ran towards the downed Epyon to see someone emerging from the cockpit.

"Heero!" cried Quatre. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." replied Heero, in that same calm voice. He joined his friends, taking off his helmet. "That thing. I couldn't detect anything from it. Which only means that its pure water."

"No wonder our sensors couldn't pick anything up."-

"Who, or what is responsible for that thing?"-

"Relena knows."-

"She does."-

"Yes, I do." replied Relena. "That thing is being manipulated by a man."

"A man."-

"That's right. I we never saw his face. He was dressed in a hooded cloak."-

Suddenly, the five heard a sinister chuckled coming from the down the street amongst the smoke and fire. From the smoke, a figure appeared. A man cloaked in black.

"Perhaps we started off on the wrong foot." said the man.

"That's him!" Relena pointed out. "That's the guy!"

"Who are you!" shouted Heero.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" the man said. "Where are my manners. We rushed through things so quickly, there was no time for introduction."

"I'll ask you again! Who are you!" he slowly reached for his concealed pistol.

"You may be feeling lucky with that pistol you're reaching for. But I wouldn't bet on a swift victory." Heero hesitated to draw now that his opponent knew he had a concealed weapon on him. But never the type to hold back, Heero drew his gun and pointed it at the cloaked man. "So that's your solution. What a foolish one."

"I'll kill you." Heero pulled the trigger. But the bullet only went through as if the man standing before him was a hologram. Just then, the man appeared next to Heero and grabbed the pilot's wrist. He squeezed tightly, but Heero never made a peep, or cry, despite the aggravating pain. He released the gun soon after.

"If you ever intend to shoot at me effectively," said the man, "you should first learn how to counter the attacks of a shinobi."

"A shinobi?" asked Quatre. "You mean your a ninja?"

"Did I stutter?" He twisted Heero's arm. Still, the young pilot didn't cry out. The man locked Heero's arm behind his back and wrapped his arm around the boy's throat. "Why don't you make it easier on yourself and squeal."

"Pain...means...nothing to me." Heero uttered.

"Then I'm sure you don't mind this!" In a flash, the ninja grabbed Heero by the back of his shirt and threw him across the ground. Heero tumbled across the street. Little pieces of glass ripped cuts in his flesh. Still he stood up, staggering to his feet with all his strength. "Impressive! But still, it's not enough to outdo me." He threw one side of his cloak over his shoulder. At his side a pair of swords were sheathed. Yet, the ninja only drew out one. Shaped like an officers club, he could easily swing it about in a circular motion using the side hilt. "I believe only one of my Mantrion blades will be necessary. This blade is specially designed for quick lunging and slashing movements. And I don't even have to change my grip. That means I leave no openings when I transfer myself from offensive to defensive. Enjoy your last few minutes of life, boy!"

The ninja came charging at Heero who was still trying to stand. With his blade drawn, the ninja intended on making a quick slash to the throat.

It was without warning, a figure appeared between the ninja and Heero. Heero looked to see a young warrior standing before him.

It was Riku. He and the members of the KH troop had arrived in the knick of time. The blade had been blocked. There was a short parry before the ninja went into defense mode, retracting the blade into a shield.

"That's enough!" said Riku.

"I was wondering when you would get here." chuckled the ninja. He soon saw as Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy jumped out, taking their stance next to Riku. "You win this round, but this is far from over! I still have my mission to complete! But this isn't over by a long shot, boys! You have not seen the last of me! Horus! Six member of the Cavendish Shinobis!" With those final words, he sheathed his blade and covered himself with the cloak again. He jumped up onto a rooftop and disappeared.

"Damn!" said Riku. "He got away!"

"Just be grateful that we got here before he could cause any serious damage to the rest of this world." said Sora.

"Excuse me." said Heero. "But who the heck are you guys?"

"I guess it would be best to make introductions first." Mickey replied.

"Well, if you plan on doing introductions first," Riku stated, "then we better make it quick!" Riku pointed to the massive sphere which lay over the ruins of the Sanc Kingdom. In a split second, the massive ball of water ascended into the air at a very high speed. So fast, that it caused a sonic boom to ring out. The party was nearly blown off their feet because of the powerful sonic boom accumulating from the sphere's acceleration.

"What is going on here?" Relena demanded. "What is with that sphere! Why did it just spout into the air like that! And most importantly, who are you people!"

"We are members of a so called guardian force from another dimensional realm." Sora started. He introduced each party member. "I'm Sora, my best friend, Riku, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. We have come to help save this world and defeat the one man who's been terrifying you. The man you encountered happened to be a member of the Cavendish Shinobis."

"Cavendish Shinobis?" asked Quatre.

"Yes. They are an elite group of special trained warriors whose mission is to be deployed throughout all the dimensional realms possible and take them over by eradicating all possible threats. They intend to extend the borders of the Dark Empire by conquering other worlds."

"The Dark Empire?" asked Noin.

"An organization bent on total conquest." Riku began. "They intend on taking over all worlds. As many as they can get their hands on. This is just one of many other worlds that would fall prey. Who knows how many have fallen already as a result of these guys."

"Should we be telling them that we're from another world?" asked Mickey. "That would be meddling in their affairs."

"The Imperials aren't being quiet about it." said Sora. "They intend to make themselves known to everyone."

"What about that guy?" asked Heero. "I think his name was Horus."

"Horus happens to be the master of the water element." Riku replied. "That's the reason why he was able to make that massive sphere of water. From what our data says, that massive ball of water is called the Aquatic Fortress. With it, Horus is able to send it anywhere he wants and allows it to demolish anything and everything that he sees fit."

"And because it's made completely out of water, it can't be harmed by anything." Sora continued. "Horus can concentrate on the water so thoroughly, he can make the watery surface of the Aquatic Fortress literally hard as steel. The water spouts are also randomly fired. And because of the immense pressure of the spouts, they can break through steel as easily as a hot knife cuts through butter. Also to add, because of the energy used to create the Aquatic Fortress, the fortress itself accumulates its own heat source. So it can even survive in the cold depths of space and not become frozen solid."

"But that thing has to have a weakness." said Quatre. "Perhaps if we could use excessive heat like the sun."

"Even if you had the sun in your favor, it takes a while for water to evaporate. Besides, don't you see that thing." Sora pointed at what looked like a water spout that seemed to reach into space. "That's probably how Horus is able refit the Aquatic Fortress when needed. And because the earth has so much water, his ability to refit that giant sphere is unlimited."

"But how does he intend to destroy the earth's inhabitants if he just lets the thing go into space." said Heero. "Not unless he also means to attack..." Only then did Heero realize what Horus was planning to do. "Oh no! He intends to attack the colonies!"

"Without a doubt." said Riku. "He knows of the existence of the colonies and he believes that there is no need for them. It is only the earth Horus wishes to keep in tact."

"But why would he do such a thing." said Quatre, angrily. "The colonies aren't anywhere near Earth."

"Simply because he wants something to test the might of his Aquatic Fortress on."-

"We have to stop that thing before it does any damage to the colonies." said Heero.

"There is no way of stopping the fortress itself. The only way to stop the puppet's path of destruction is by taking out the puppet master. And that's Horus himself."-

"Well, then that's what we'll do." Riku grabbed Heero by the shoulder.

"What do you think you'll accomplish by attacking him head on in the state you're in now. It wouldn't take more than two seconds for Horus to kill you instantly."

"But how do we handle the situation then?" asked Noin.

"You must go into outer space and tell the colony citizens to abandon their homes." Mickey instructed. "It's the only way to avoid total annihilation."

"Meanwhile, we'll take out that freak." said Donald.

"But...uh...do you think we could do it?" asked Goofy.

"What other choice have we?"-

"None." said Sora.

"Then, we shall do that." said Relena. "We will go into space and tell the colony citizens to abandon their homes."

"It's best to inform the ones who are most threatened." Quatre advised. "That way they can find refuge on colonies not within striking range of the Aquatic Fortress."

"Hey look!" shouted Goofy. "Something's coming!"

Everyone gazed up to where Goofy was pointing. From above, a mobile suit was approaching.

"What is that?" asked Sora.

"It's the Wing Zero." Heero uttered.

"Wing Zero?" asked Goofy.

The Wing Zero made a sudden stop and landed safely on the ground. The party ran to where the Wing Zero, awaiting who would come out. From the cockpit, the pilot emerged.

"Zechs." said Noin. "It really is you."

"Milliardo." Relena uttered.

"It appears I've come too late." said Zechs.

"What brings you here?" asked Heero.

"I was coming to assist in protecting the Sanc Kingdom." Zechs replied. "But it appears I've come too late." He gazed into the eyes of his allies. "But at least I'm glad to see that you're all still alive." It was then that he spotted the new faces amongst the group. "Who are they?"

"There the one's who've come to help us get rid of that ninja and his Aquatic Fortress." said Quatre. "Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy."

"Ninja you say. Well, then explain."-

"He's the one responsible for all this destruction." said Heero. "What he did here to the Sanc Kingdom, he intends to do to both earth and the colonies."

"The colonies?" asked Zechs. "You mean that giant thing I saw emerging from the earth's surface was this ninja's doing?"

"His name is Horus. The master of the water element. And that giant sphere of water you saw going into space did all this to the Sanc Kingdom."-

"It completely eradicated the attacking forces of the Romefeller foundation." added Relena.

"Not one ship, carrier, or mobile suit survived." added Dorothy.

"What is this guy trying to prove?" said Zechs, angrily. "What are his intentions?"

"Simple." Riku explained. "He wants to take it over for the sake of the Dark Empire. The one great power with the intention to taking over all worlds. Horus could care less about what happens to the people of this realm. All he cares about is subduing the inhabitants of each world to the point where they would no longer retaliate. Ever."

"But sooner, or later someone will give rise to rebellion and eventually try to overthrow their regime. The only way that they'd be able to wipe out any form of retaliation completely is to..." a grim face came upon them. Riku only nodded.

"You mean," Quatre said, stunned, "he intends to wipe out everyone?"

"Everyone and everything that proves to be a threat to the empire." said Riku.

Suddenly, there was an incoming message signal coming from in the cockpit of the Wing Zero. Zechs went to receive it and saw, on a world broadcast, the unimaginable.

"Oh God!" he said. "Seven more of those Aquatic Fortresses just emerged. One over Africa, another over Europe, another of North America."

"One for every continent." said Heero. "That way, the people of Earth can be wiped out quicker."

"We have to stop those things." Quatre stated.

"You know those Aquatic fortresses can't be stopped." Noin replied. "The only way to stop these floating fortresses is to kill the creator. And that's Horus himself."

"Man, Riku." Sora uttered. "This guy is completely different from Isis."

"I know." Riku replied. "Unlike Isis, Horus attacks indirectly. Concealing his whereabouts completely. If there was only some way of finding him."

"We'll just use the gummi ship to track him down." said Donald.

"But we need you guys to use the gummi ship and get the others to those colonies."-

"But what are you gonna do?" asked Mickey.

"We're gonna track down Horus." said Sora.

"On foot?"-

"Of course not! We have our own means of transportation." Sora drew forth his first new summoning spell. "Come out, Zeke!"

From the light, the silver organoid appeared before them. He landed right between Sora and Riku.

"What is that?" asked Quatre.

"This is Zeke." said Sora. "He's an organoid. He'll be our means of transportation."

"You guys get going if you want to save the colonies and the Earth!" Riku explained. "Meanwhile, we'll do what we can to track down and stop Horus."

"We understand." said Mickey. "Donald! Get the gummi warmed up! We have some colonies to save."

Suddenly, Heero jumped into the cockpit of the Wing Zero. He sealed himself up and ignited the booster engines. Relena and Quatre ran to the Zero.

"Heero!" cried Relena.

"What're you doing, Heero!" added Quatre.

"Do what you gotta do." Heero replied from within the cockpit. "I have some things to take care of."

"But Heero..."-

"Leave him alone." Zechs uttered. "He has his job like we have ours. If we stall any longer, there won't be any colonies left to defend."

Quatre tightened his fist and looked down to the ground. He the gazed upon the members of the party.

"You're right." he said. "Let's go!"

"We'll take care of things here!" said Sora. ""Good luck to all of you!"

"Let's go, Zeke!" The two boys hopped onto his back and the little zoid went scampering away at a very high speed.

"Take care, you two." said Mickey, quietly. "Come back alive."

With those final words, the party got into the gummi ship and took off towards the colonies. The second fight to save world was about to begin.


	9. Chaotic Results

Chaotic Results

As the gummi ship neared the colonies, the party members was debris floating endlessly through space. As they gazed on, they saw that they had been too late for some of the colonies.

"Oh my god." said Quatre. "We didn't make it in time."

"The colony has been completely demolished." added Noin.

"Hey, look!" shouted Goofy. "The fortress."

They looked on as they saw the Aquatic Fortress continue on its way to destruction. Thousands of mobile suits and mobile dolls from Oz continued their valiant effort to destroy the fortress.

"Don't those fools realize that there's no way for them to win against that thing?" said Zechs. It was at that moment an incoming message reached the gummi ship.

"Attention!" the message said. "This is Peacemillion! Please identify yourselves at once!"

"It's Howard." Zechs put the message through. "Howard! Come in! This is Zechs Merquise! Please respond!"

"Zechs! Is that really you! What happened to the Wing Zero!"-

"It's been given to Heero!"-

"I see. What is up with that watery sphere? Going out destroying the colonies."-

"I'll explain it later. Right now, we request permission to board."-

"Permission granted."-

The gummi ship was hauled aboard the Peacemillion. Zechs and the others exited out of the gummi ship, only to be confronted by the sight of two damaged gundams.

"Aren't those?" said Zechs. "Gundams 02 and 05?"

"That's right." replied Howard. "We found them floating in space with severe damage inflicted. We decided to take them aboard and fix them up."

"That means that..." Quatre cried.

"That's right!" said a voice. Quatre looked up to see two familiar faces gazing at them.

"Duo! Wu Fei!" Quatre hovered over to them. "When did you guys get here?"

"Only a short time ago." said Duo. "We were wondering how you were doing? Tell me, what's going on Earth?"

"Didn't you hear?"-

"Hear what?"-

"The Sanc Kingdom has fallen." Zechs uttered.

"What!" said Duo, stunned. "The Sanc Kingdom has fallen? But how!"

"It was originally the Romefeller Foundation that began the attack, but they weren't the ones responsible for destroying the Sanc Kingdom." said Relena.

"The one responsible for destroying the Sanc Kingdom is also responsible for creating that monstrosity of a water ball." added Noin.

"That thing." Wu Fei uttered. "That thing has no weakness. Despite my efforts, they were executed in vain. Nothing I could do could stop that sphere."

"That's because it has no weakness." said Mickey.

"Who are they?" asked Duo.

"They're the one's who know everything about the Aquatic Fortress and who's responsible for its creation." said Quatre.

"Really." said Howard.

"Then perhaps you can begin with why that thing is attacking the colonies." said Wu Fei, angrily.

"I'll tell you." said Mickey. "But it'll be a hard story for you to hear."

Mickey told the situation to the members of Peacemillion. As he progressed with his lecture, the eyes of the two gundam pilots began to grow in fear.

"So that's it?" said Duo. "This guy, Horus, plans to wipe out all of Earth and the colonies."

"All just to expand the influence of the Dark Empire to this world." said Wu Fei. "There is no need for such evil to exist in outer space."

"Howard." said Zechs. "Contact all colonies who may be in possible danger. We need the citizens to evacuate immediately."

"I gotcha." replied Howard.

"Damn that Horus!" said Duo. "He really intends to eliminate all. Whether they be on Earth, or in the colonies!"

"We have to find this man and stop him." Wu Fei uttered.

"Hey!" cried one of the attendants. "There's a shuttle approaching us!"

"Who is it?" asked Zechs.

"I don't know, Sir. But they intend to board us."-

"Let them in. If we need to take in refugees, then we will do so."-

The ship landed on the docking bay. From the opening doors, another face, familiar to the gundam pilots, emerged.

"Trowa!" cried Quatre. He ran to his long lost friend.

"Do I know you?" asked Trowa.

"Trowa?"-

"What brought you here, Trowa?" asked Duo.

"I heard about what was going on." Trowa explained. "I wanted to do my share, but I didn't know who else to turn to. So I turned to Peacemillion because I wanted some questions answered. But now that I'm here, even though I don't know who you guys are, I feel comfortable in a way."

"It's good to see that you're alive, Trowa." Quatre's eyes filled with tears.

"Why did you bother coming?" said Wu Fei. "You have no recollection of who you are, or what you are. What use are you to us?"

"Wu Fei. Shush!" said Duo.

"Because I have someone I want to protect." Trowa explained. "I want to protect her as best I can."

"I believe that's a good enough cause." said Quatre.

"I still say he serves no purpose." said Wu Fei, disgusted. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms in front of him.

"Don't worry about it, Trowa." Quatre placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's alright."

"Thanks." Trowa replied.

"Well, I got the message out!" said Howard. "The other colonies have already sent out a warning to evacuate! But I think you guys better get up here! There's something you gotta hear! Earth and the colonies are broadcasting the situation now!"

The party members rushed to the bridge of Peacemillion to hear what it was that was being broadcast.

"What's going on?" asked Quatre.

"The situation in both Earth and space have gotten worse." said Howard.

_"Earth and space have been placed in utter chaos."_ the news broadcast began. _"As we speak all major cities on Earth are being evacuated. Also, colonies A district through D district have been ordered to evacuate immediately. As we speak, both Earth and space have called a joint meeting to see if they can face these watery spheres together. Already all colonies, A-C district have been destroyed. Several have suffered a significant number of casualties. Also, Earth's major cities have been demolished by these water sphere's as well. No one knows who, or what is responsible for the deployment of these so called water fortresses. _

"Damn it!" said Zechs. "At this rate, all of Earth and space will be deprived of human life in less than a week.

"As we said before." Mickey explained. "The only way to stop the chaos is if and when Horus is killed. Only then will the Aquatic Fortresses fall."

"What should we do?" asked Trowa.

"You must stay here and stall for time. Donald, Goofy, and myself will descend back to Earth and help our other companions. He turned to Goofy and Donald. "Let's get going."

"Right." replied Donald. The three went back to where the gummi ship was docked.

"Wait!" said Relena. "How do you intend to find Horus?"

"Leave that to us. If I know Riku and Sora, they must've already found the ninja."-

"Good luck." said Zechs. "We'll do what we can here."

Meanwhile, on Earth, Riku and Sora still rode upon the back of their new companion, Zeke. Zeke, having a strong sense of intuition, knew where to find the target.

"I hope Zeke knows where to go." said Sora.

"It seems like he does." added Riku. "Besides, I have this strange feeling that there's someone stalking us. An evil presence."

It was then that a mobile suit flew above their heads.

"Hey!" said Sora. "Isn't that?"

"That's the Wing Zero." Riku replied. "That's the same mobile suit Heero was piloting."

"It's heading towards that castle!" said Sora. "And it looks like Zeke is heading that same way too."

"Are we going the right way?" Zeke only nodded his head and growled softly. "I guess that means yes."

The two key bearers pursued the Wing Zero atop the silver organoid to the castle which lay ahead. Little did they know that the castle which they headed towards was none other than the Romefeller Foundation Headquarters. The facility where Treize Khushrenada had been confined.

Upon reaching their destiny, they saw the Wing Zero standing outside the main gates. Riku and Sora walked to the large doors of the Foundation Headquarters.

"Somewhere in there, Horus is waiting for us." said Sora.

"Well, we have no other choice, but to go in." added Riku. "We have a friend to save. And we won't know Kairi's exact location unless we confiscate the information from Horus. And it's not as if the guy will just hand over what we want if we ask politely."

The two entered the facility, afraid of what they might find. The hallway was they walked down was long and dark. A few statues, grand tapestries, portraits, and suits of armor decorated the long corridor. But still, there was an eerie feeling amidst the silent faces glaring down at the two. A few beams of light from open windows, in certain rooms, illuminated some parts of the hall. To keep themselves concealed from any prying eyes, the two key bearers stayed in the shadows. As they walked down, they heard something rustling around in one of the rooms.

"Something's there." said Sora.

Riku gave the silent sign and told Sora to peek in. Sora peered into the light and saw a figure standing there in dark. Since the curtains were drawn, they could only see a dark silhouette gazing about the room, with his back towards the door. Riku gave Sora the sign to stand on the other side of the door.

They waited as the person began to walk out. They heard the footsteps come nearer and nearer. When the person stepped out of the door, Sora tackled him and pummeled him to the floor. Riku assisted Sora in constraining this intruder. But as they gazed down, they saw a familiar face.

"Heero?" they both said.

"Yeah." said Heero. "It's me. What are you doing here?"

"We'd like to ask you the same thing." Riku replied. "Or do you usually prowl around big empty castles like a cat."

"This castle isn't empty. I was just looking for someone. And if it's not too much trouble. How about getting off me."-

"Sorry about that." said Sora, helping the gundam pilot to his feet. "We thought you were Horus."

"Is that why you guys came?" said Heero, dusting himself off. "You think Horus is here?"

"This is where Zeke took us. And he has that ability to sense energy."-

It was then that they heard someone coming down the corridor. The three looked in the direction to where the sound was coming. Before them, a figure appeared in the darkness.

"Heero Yuy." said the voice. "I see that you have come to see me again."

"Treize?" Heero replied. The figure stepped into the light and sure enough, a tall man with sandy yellow hair and a blue military frock appeared before the three. It was Treize Khushrenada, the former leader of Oz and representative of the Romefeller Foundation. "I had a feeling it was you."

"Have you come to seek council. Perhaps requesting for assistance in some way. Or have you just come to finish the job you started the last time we met." He then gazed upon the two young boys accompanying Heero. "Who are your two companions?"

"I'm Sora." said Sora. "And this is my friend, Riku."

"I'm Treize Khushrenada."-

"And exactly who are you, Treize?" asked Riku.

"I was once the former leader of Oz and former representative of the Romefeller Foundation." Treize began. "I had attempted to further expand the influence of Oz throughout Earth and space. However, Duke Dermail, my successor, found that the use of mobile dolls was advantageous. Mobile dolls by the way are unmanned mobile suits. Much like the ones you saw in battle today, but they are deprived of a human pilot. As a result, they would use these mobile dolls to settle all disputes within the earth sphere. However, I found it unacceptable to eliminate the human factor. In my opinion, the human factor is most important in a battle." Treize walked into the room which Heero had just exited. He opened up the blinds, revealing a beautiful courtyard. He then poured himself a glass of wine. Offering some to the three boys, the trio only declined. He continued with his statement. "Without the will of the person to continue fighting, wars soon lose their meaning. There are many things that push a person to fight. Personal conquest, personal gain, to get a point straight, or even to protect someone which they care for. Without the human factor, if humans only use machines to fight their battles, they lose the sense of what it means to fight. They forget how exhilarating it is to fight, they forget how tragic it is to lose a fellow human being in the midst of battle, and they forget how painful the suffering is when they themselves have been injured. That is why I dismissed myself from being the leader of Oz and representative of Romefeller. That is why I turned in favor of the gundam pilots. Because they had engaged in many battles which ended in defeat, they were able to keep others away from the delusion that war was all victory and glory. To keep the aspect of war's tragedy in perspective for everyone to see allows people to find a more peaceful solution to conclude to."

"Why do you fight?" asked Riku. Treize sipped his wine.

"That's simple. I fight because I find the art of war to be the most noble and most enlightening of human pursuits. There is a sense of civility when engaged in battle. Despite the controversy against waging war, you would realize that many turn to it for a quick and easy solution. In my opinion, I am enthralled by war when it is fought by individuals at an equal level. However, because of the creation of mobile dolls, people are able to confront their enemies without even being present on the battlefield. To me, that is breech of honor and what it means to be a true soldier."

"Well, perhaps your perspective will change from now on. Have you heard about what's been going on lately?"-

"I have heard. About those aquatic fortresses?"-

"What's your opinion on that?"-

"I understand that these things are unmanned weapons of destruction. And whoever is responsible for it does not truly know the meaning of what it means to fight."-

"Well, that isn't very nice!" chuckled a voice. The four gazed to see some a dark figure standing in the doorway. "You think you know all there is to know about war and battle. But in reality, you are only trying to revive dead beliefs and dead traditions. When two warriors confront themselves on the field of battle, there's a chance that one of the two will die. However, if one were to use a machine in his place, it is guaranteed that his opponent will fall. The other doesn't have to be anywhere near the battlefield."

The figure stepped out of the darkness, into the light of the room. Once again, the cloaked man made his second appearance.

"Horus." said Riku.

"Aw, so you already know who I am." Horus replied. "So introductions aren't necessary. And you figured out that I'm also the one responsible for the creation of the Aquatic Fortresses. And the only way to bring them down is to stop me!"

"That's about the size of it." said Sora, drawing his sword from out of the sheath.

"Let's make this quick." added Riku, unsheathing the blade at his side. "You have something we want and we know you won't give it up without a fight."

"How did you guess?" chuckled Horus. He opened the front of his cloak and took out both of his Mantrion blades. Swinging them around, he took his stance defensively. "If we fight, we fight to the death. But it'll be your deaths that will be assured this day."

Sora made the first attack with his sword lunging forth. He struck from the right, but Horus, using his blade as a shield, he evaded the thrust, knocking it out of the way. He then lunged upward towards Sora's gut, but the key bearer saw the attack and twisted his body in such a way, the blade passed harmlessly by him. Swing his blade behind him, he struck again at his target. Horus however, used his blades as a shield to black again. At the same time, shifting his opposite blade into attack mode and attempted to thrust and slash at the boy.

"Man this guy's good." Sora thought to himself. "A lot better than we gave him credit for."

"Unlike the other members of the Cavendish Shinobis," Horus stated while they continued to slash and cut at each other, inflicting no damage yet so far, "I attack indirectly against my enemy. The use of those Aquatic Fortresses are an excellent example. However, when it comes to close hand to hand combat, I can's just find any water in a confined space like this. And water is an element that's so hard to master. That's why, when it comes to scuffles like this, I use my old and trusty Mantrion blades."

"Sora's having a hard time against this guy." Riku thought to himself. "That guy's blades are designed more like police clubs. Because the handle is placed on the side of the blade, he can shift easily from offensive to defensive in the blink of an eye. And because he's armed with two Mantrion blades, he can alternate, leaving no opening. However..."

Riku drew his sword and join the fray. Horus saw as this new opponent came at him. Horus went on the defensive. Fighting off both Riku and Sora at the same time, however, was too much even for him.

"I knew it." Riku continued. "When fighting against a single skilled entity, his attacks seem flawless. But since you and I are both skilled in the use of swords, and since we are attacking him at our own discretion, you can suddenly see hundreds of openings to which he is open to an attack."

"I see what you mean." said Sora. "Now that he's fighting two warriors, of equal status, at the same time, he no longer has that steady rhythm of going from the offensive to the defensive without leaving an opening."

"And now!" Riku thrust with his blade right into Horus. However, the cloak he wore, easily repelled the thrust. Riku stood shocked at the result. Suddenly, Horus lunged forth, his blade suddenly bursting out from behind the opening of his cape.

"Riku!" cried Sora. Riku dodged the strike, but the blade was so swift, it cut a hole in his black overcoat.

"What you said was correct, Riku." chuckled Horus. "When fighting against two warriors of equal status to my own, I begin to show flaws in my technique. In a way, not being able to smoothly go from offensive to defensive, I begin to show openings. But, because of that slight draw back, I had it reinforced with a special cloak. Between the heavy layers of fabric, there is a layer consisting of plates made from Gombrian steel. The strongest metal in the universe. So if there is an opening, the cloak itself makes up for that, hood and all. The reason for that is due to my fear that someone my try to stab me in the back one day. So I took the liberty of having this special cloak made to fill my needs."

"Quite an ingenious maneuver." Treize said, standing on the sidelines. "That man truly has an unique fighting spirit."

"Don't get too enthusiastic about his tactics." said Heero. "Remember, he intends to kill us all for the sake of his own twisted plans."

"Yes. But I can't help admire his ability to anticipate his enemy's objectives and his ability to counter it."-

"So even if we did get passed his blades," Sora thought, "we still couldn't inflict any damage."

"We have to somehow deprive him of a strength." Riku finally realized a further weakness. "I got it! Sora!"

Sora neared Riku, still on his guard.

"What is it, Riku?" he asked.

"I have a plan. You see, we'll..."

Horus could only watch as the two whispered in each other's ear.

"If you have a plan, it won't work!" Horus lunged forth, but Riku and Sora quickly dodged. Sora suddenly took the grappling knife from his side, dodge rolled behind Horus and thrust the blade into the cloth. But the blade did not pierce. Horus swung around and kicked Sora in the face. Sora skidded across the floor and crashed into one of the tables in the room. "Tried to stab my cloak, eh? Well, it won't work! The plates are stitched to closely to ever be snagged onto anything!"

He then turned his attention towards Riku who was attempting a downward slash with his katana. Horus went on the defensive with one blade while ready to thrust with the other. However, Riku concentrated on his weight balance. So when he struck, the defensive blade, using the sword for leverage, he arched his back and swung himself over Horus's head. He landed on his feet behind Horus, but the ninja only swung both swords around him to attempt and strike down Riku.

However, Riku saw that Horus had made a fatal mistake. Using both blades in attack mode, he had made himself completely open. Riku evaded the primary slash attack from the first sword. Knowing Horus would use a thrust attack, he braced himself. Sure enough, the thrust came. Using his katana as a shield, he swayed the thrust attack harmlessly away from him. He then, used the hilt as a wedge. Impacting it with his fist, Riku forced the second blade out of Horus's right hand. Riku did a sudden undersweep kick, knocking Horus off his feet. The ninja fell on his back, but managed to jumped back to his feet within seconds of hitting the floor. But now he had only one weapon in his reach.

"You made a fatal mistake." said Riku. "Using both your blades offensively."

"What difference does it make!" Horus bellowed. "Even if I attacked with both blades offensively, there's no way you could have done what you did."

"That's where you're wrong. Would you like me to tell you why?"-

"No! I wouldn't like you to tell me why!"-

"Well, I'd like to make myself clear anyway. Because you left yourself open, I took that opportunity and knocked the second blade out of your hand. Perhaps you hadn't noticed the peculiar design of those blades. They are designed so one can shift from defensive to offensive without any openings. That's why the handle was constructed on the side. However, because the hilt is on the side of the blade's shaft, this poses a weakness. Though that blade has an unwavering attack and defensive ability on the side opposite the handle, it's the handle side itself that is the most vulnerable. With enough pressure placed on the handle side, the user would eventually lose grip of the weapon. No matter how strong your grip, you can't hold onto something, by a small area, when there's a greater amount of weight causing pressure on the other side. Now of course, you could have used the weaker thrust which is a vertical fist thrust. However, you wanted to inflict maximum damage on me, so you attacked with your stronger thrust, in which you lunge with a horizontal fist. Had it been a weaker thrust, you would have been able to retract back to defensive mode when I attempted to knock the blade out of your hand. However, because you used your stronger attack, the hilt's position on the blade allowed me to add enough pressure, forcing you to lose your grip."

"You are quite observant, Riku." said Horus. "You realized a flaw that I had not even paid attention to. And for that I will commend you. However, I still have one blade left."

"Unfortunately, that particular blade is only best used when paired with another. And as you can see, you've just lost the other Mantrion sword. So your use of only one blade will seem rather awkward. It limits a majority of your movements that would have been otherwise unnoticeable with the use of two."-

"That's alright. One is all I need!" Suddenly, shifting his blade to defensive mode, Horus pressed a little button on the hilt. Just then, the short end of the blade burst out. Attached to a chord, the blade same straight at Riku.

"A hidden counterweight!" said Riku, stunned. He saw the blade attempt to stabbed him in the head. He quickly evaded, but the blade came so close, it cut Riku's cheek. Blood dripped a little from the wound. The counterweight itself lodged itself in the wall. Horus jerked the weight back and the counterweight retracted back into the shaft.

"You see. With the use of the counterweight, I no longer need two blades to win this fight." Horus once again took out the counterweight. "You know, as we speak, hell is probably occurring outside. While we stand here engaged in mortal combat, my eight Aquatic Fortresses are decimating all of Earth and space. So the longer you stall in finishing me off, the more damage will be inflicted on the inhabitance of this miserable little planet."

"He's right." Riku though to himself. "By playing around too long with this guy, many people are dying and suffering. It's best to get this fight over with here and now."

"However..." Horus suddenly threw his counterweight and the chord wrapped around Riku's throat. Horus gave a mighty jerk. "I won't allow you to interfere with my planning. The thought of seeing so many die at my wake gets me just as riled as finishing you off." He attempted to thrust the blade at close range, but Riku managed to grab both the blade and Horus's arm, preventing the ninja from skewering him.

Meanwhile, Sora managed to stagger to his feet. He could see as the death struggle between the ninja and his best friend began to waver.

"Riku." Sora muttered. He grabbed his sword and ran forward to aid his friend. "I'm coming! Hold on!"

But Horus saw Sora coming. He then used Riku as a shield. Sora held back his strike. Horus took his sword and thrust his blade again. Sora evaded the strike and attempted to get himself between Riku and Horus.

"Not so easy when a friend of yours is in my grasp is it!" He further extended the chord and wrapped it around Sora's throat. He bundled the two boys together and tightened his grip on the chords. Riku and Sora began to choke violently as the chords around their throats slowly suffocated them. "Isis was right. You would never survive passed me! Now give way to death! Accept your end!"

Suddenly, a shot rang out and Horus felt something slam him on the back of the head. He tumbled over and landed on top of the two boys. His strangle hold still held, but he turned about to see Treize holding a gun at him.

"I'm not the type to interfere with a duel." he said. "However, I cannot allow a man like you to have your way."

"You shouldn't have interfered, Treize Khushrenada!" shouted Horus. "Now you shall become my next victim. Both you and Heero Yuy!"

"That's not gonna happen!" said Heero, angrily. Pulling his pistol out, both he and Treize aimed well at the ninja.

"Haven't you fools learned by now!" roared Horus. A sudden force of energy blew out, knocking Treize and Heero off their feet. They broke through the large glass windows and landed on the grass in the courtyard. Horus followed them out, Riku and Sora still strangling in the counterweight chord. "You could have avoided death by not interfering and allow me to do as I wish! Bust you have decided to choose the way of pain!" He released both Riku and Sora, who fell to the ground, coughing and gasping. The ninja walked towards Treize and Heero.

"Be on your guard, Heero." said Treize.

"You fools! Displaying an act of futility!"-

"Horus!" shouted Sora. "You forget! Your fight is with us!"

"Ha!" the ninja chuckled. "You two are in no shape to fight me! You can barely stand!"

"That's what you think! Heal!" Sora raised his sword over his head and summoned the curaga spell. Both he and Riku were healed and ready to fight again.

"The curaga spell, eh? Well done. However, the curaga only restores your strength. Wounds are another story." Sora looked to see that the cut on Riku's face was still bleeding. The ninja chuckled. "You didn't realize that the curaga doesn't work on wounds? When you confronted the heartless, the heartless inflicted damage to your heart and soul only. However, the Heartless were incapable of inflicting any damage that caused blood to spill. Curaga was created specifically for battles against the heartless, allowing the soul and spirit of the heart to be fully replenished. Potion has the same effect. However, when it comes to dealing with flesh wounds, the curaga spell is useless."

"He's right." said Riku. "I feel ready to fight, but my wounds haven't healed."

"No matter." Sora added. "As long as we're restored in spirit and strength of heart, there's nothing we can't overcome."

"Then, overcome this!" Horus hollered. From his mouth, a sharp stream of water bellowed out against the key bearers. Riku and Sora saw the spout and dodged the stream. The water struck the side of the building, blowing a hole straight through the other side. "Like that little trick? It's called my Hydration Cannon."

"Your cheap tricks won't work on us!" shouted Riku.

"Cheap trick is it? You'll ever regret saying that!"-

Horus jumped into the air and fired another blast from his Hydration Cannon. Riku dodged rolled. However, as he stood to his feet, he saw as the counterweight, once again deployed, came straight for his heart. Riku could no nothing to dodge this time. It seemed the end.

"Riku!" cried Sora.

Suddenly, from out of the blue a shield struck the counterweight off its course. The counterweight and the shield landed harmlessly on the ground.

"What the..." said Riku, curiously.

"Damn." Horus grumbled. "Reinforcements."

"Hey!" cried a voice from above. Riku and Sora gazed into the sky to see Mickey, Donald, and Goofy coming down.

"I hope we didn't come too late." said Goofy.

"Boy, are we glad to see you guys." Sora sighed with relief.

"Your path ends here, Horus!" Mickey stated. "The word is out! Earth and Space have joined forces and are now harboring refugees! Many populated areas have been evacuated successfully! So casualties have been limited to a minimum!"

"How long do you think it'll be before my Aquatic Fortresses reach these people who have safely escaped their destructive power?" said Horus. "It's only a matter of time before those people run out of places to go! And when that happens, my Aquatic fortresses will do away them all! Every man, woman, and child!"

"That is why we have no choice but to defeat you!" shouted Riku. "Unless we do that, everyone in this world will not be safe from your tyrannical rule!"

"You've caused me more trouble that your worth! This time, I will not hold back! If you're so interested in stopping the Aquatic Fortresses, you can start with this!"-

Horus began to concentrate all his energy into one spot. Soon water droplets, leftover from his previous attacks, began to gather in the center of the vortex he was creating. Every drop gathered, forming a perfect sphere of water.

"Oh no!" said Donald.

"He made an Aquatic Fortress." added Mickey.

"Now you will witness the power of the aquatic fortress first hand!" chuckled Horus. "Destroy them!"

The ball of water went springing into action, firing powerful spouts and random energy beams at the members of the KH group. A series of explosions occurred as each beam and spout made impact with the ground and the surrounding structures.

"He really intends to finish us off this time." said Sora.

"Then, we'll just have to turn up our attack power as well." added Riku. "Let's see how he enjoys a few attacks which were once part of his comrade's arsenal."


	10. A Change in Perspective

A Change In Perspective

As the miniature fortress went about firing at the warriors, the castle of the late Romefeller Foundation HQ was turned to rubble. For each dodge, the spouts hit the wall, causing it to collapse. At times, a stray spout would strike on of the support beams and a quarter of the structure would fall. Horus, on the other hand, only had to watch as the members of the KH group took cover for their very lives.

"At this rate, you'll tire out." chuckled Horus. "And you would never have had a shot at me. With the use of an Aquatic Fortress, I don't even have to engage in battle. My faithful little sphere does all the work." Horus only gazed on as spouts and beams dared to strike at Sora and his friends.

"We have to find a way to stop this guy!" shouted Sora.

"If only I weren't dodging about like this." Riku thought to himself. "If I had but two seconds, I could unleash my Iceberg Shurikens. That'll at least stop the assault of that annoying little sphere."

"Hey! I have an idea!" Horus bellowed. "If I manage to hit anyone of you, I will give you the pleasure of a mercy killing, by slamming the Aquatic Fortress into your face!"

"That's a nice offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline!" said Mickey, dodging another beam.

"Ditto!" added Donald. "I may be a water fowl! But I say that too much water is bad for you!"

"Especially if its coming at you at five hundred mph." Goofy uttered.

"Why don't you little gnats stand still so I can kill you upright!" said the ninja. "It would save you a lot of grief!"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to decline too!" said Sora.

"It's not as if you have a say in the matter!"-

Suddenly, using the counterweight from his Mantrion blade, he managed to snag Sora by the foot and the young man fell to the ground. Immediately, the sphere took sight of Sora. There is hovered in the air, ominously. It ceased its barrage and only floated above the heads of the KH group.

"Riku!" cried Sora. "Help me!"

"Sora!" shouted Riku, running to his friends aid.

"Too late for a rescue!" chuckled Horus. "Die Sora!"

"Sora!" Riku thrust forth his hand. Grabbing Sora within seconds, they both pummeled to the ground, evading the strike from the ball. However, the ball managed to dash Riku in the leg as it slipped by. Like a sledge hammer, the water ball fractured his shin bone. The ball itself slammed into the building.

"Thank you, Riku." said Sora, untying the counterweight from his foot. But he realized that his comrade couldn't stand. "Riku! You're hurt!"

"Don't worry about me, Sora!" Riku replied, grasping his leg. He snapped the bone back into place, with a loud crack..

"A wounded animal, eh?" said Horus, retracting the counterweight. "You make this all too easy!"

From out of the building, the ball emerged once again and hovered over Riku's head.

"Oh no!" shouted Mickey. "Riku's in trouble!"

"Die boy!" Horus bellowed. The miniature Aquatic Fortress came charging at him once again. But this time Riku was ready.

"Your reign ends here!" cried Riku. He thrust out his hand. "Iceberg Shuriken!" From his hand, a massive block of ice bellowed forth and slammed into the water ball. Within seconds of impact, the water had been frozen entirely. Being pushed by the excessive force of the ice block, it fell harmlessly down to the ground.

"It can't be!" said Horus. "How in the world could you have performed with the ice element! Only Isis had the ability to use ice. Especially when it came to the Iceberg Shuriken!"

"Apparently, you have underestimated our abilities!" uttered Riku.

"No matter! I can easily counter ice with a powerful water blast of my Hydration Cannon!" Horus began to fill his mouth up with water and aimed straight at Riku.

"Leave him alone!" cried Sora. Thrusting his hand in front of him. "Let's see how you like another one of Isis's tricks! Tundra Canister!"

Sora suddenly deployed large blocks of ice which came at Horus with impressive speed. Horus retracted the water within him.

"Not this little trick again." he said, leaping out of the path. But as the ice made impact with the ground, it shattered into millions of shards and spread about in the courtyard. Most rebounded towards Horus. He used his cape to block, but the ice shards only clung on and froze upon the material of the cape, weighing him down. In fact, so many of the shards had hit Horus's cloak, the cloak itself froze solid, turning an icy white. Within seconds, due to the extreme freezing effect, the cloak shattered into pieces. What was revealed to the KH group was something they hadn't expected to see. A heavily armored individual from top to bottom.

"Amazing." said Heero. "That guy was weighed down with armor, but he still managed to move as fast as he did."

"Gawrsh!" said Goofy, amazed. "Look at that armor."

"His body must've been super conditioned, if he was able to move around in that bulky armor."-

"You little imp!" roared Horus. "Look at what you did to my beautiful cloak!"

"Well, I hope you enjoyed that!" Sora shouted. "Because you're about to receive a second helping!" Sora began to accumulate more ice energy for another attack with Tundra Canister. But Horus counter struck with his Mantrion counterweight before the attack could be deployed. The weight wrapped itself around Sora, by the throat.

"Get down here!" roared Horus. Yanking Sora down, nearly choking him, Horus took hold of the young key bearer. "You've caused me enough trouble!" He slugged Sora in the gut and punched him in the face. In the hands of Horus, Sora received powerful and otherwise, painful blows. His face was covered in blood and even more blood dripped from his mouth, due to the internal injuries. "I've never been so humiliated! I have never been so insulted! It's because of what you and your damned friends have done! You killed Isis! You made him suffer! So I give you that same pain! Suffer Sora! Suffer and Die!" He slammed Sora into the ground. Sora coughed out in pain. The green grass wiped the blood from his face. Horus yanked on the chord of the counterweight, pulling the battered Sora to his knees. Horus then took the blade and held it to Sora's throat.

"Stop it!" shouted Riku, angrily. Despite his fractured leg, he managed to stand, using his sword as a crutch. He staggered in pain, but was able to maintain his balance. "You leave Sora alone! If you want someone to kill first, then do it to me! I was the one who was responsible for you humiliation!"

"You! You're not even worth my time!" said Horus. "You have a broken leg! Not much of a threat to me!"

"And Sora is? You have a chord wrapped around his throat. And on top of that, you intend to kill him when he has no energy left to battle! What difference does it make!"-

"What makes you worth my time to kill first then, Riku! Since you're so smart, tell me!"-

"I understand why you were ranked higher than Isis, despite the fact that he had the edge over you!" Immediately, Horus's eyes began to squint in frustration. He released Sora from his grasp and the young man fell to the ground in pain. "This fight proved it to me. In reality, Isis knew he had the edge because of his ability to manipulate ice. And because he was master of the ice element, he knew that you would always be one step bellow him. Because he knew that by freezing water into ice, he could use it to your disadvantage. And he would have been ranked on top hadn't it not been for two new tactics you invented. One was the Aquatic Fortress. With the Aquatic fortress, you could attack a foe indirectly. You didn't have to be anywhere near the battlefield, in order to fight. You would just let the Aquatic Fortress do all the work. And as long as your concentration wasn't broken, then you could let the Aquatic Fortress do as you please. You said before that water was the most difficult element to master. In my opinion, that was a lie. If it were so, then Isis would have been able to make Ice Fortresses with very little effort at all. Then, he would have been able to attack indirectly as well. However, he fought us head on. Unlike you who stayed in the shadows while your unmanned fortresses reeked death and destruction."

"Don't you think that you talk to much for your own good, boy!" Horus stated. "You've made so many assumptions about me! How do you know that you're not mistaken! How could you have come to such a conclusion!"

"The reason is because out of all the elements, water is the weakest. The only thing that makes it strong is its incredible amount. Only then can it be effective. That's what makes a flashflood, or a tidal wave so terrifying."-

"Shut your mouth, boy! You've chattered on for too long! You're only trying to provoke me!"-

"It's seems to be working though."-

"That's it!" Horus lunged forth with his Mantrion blade, but Riku only tumbled out of the way. But as he tried to regain his stance, Horus bellowed out with his Hydration Cannon. Riku was struck head on and the impact caused him to fly straight into the wall of the castle. He lay there with the wind knocked out of him "I don't hear you chattering anymore, boy! Have you lost interest of the subject, or is it because you realize that water is stronger than you think!"

"Horus!" shouted Sora. "Your fight is with me! Leave Riku alone!"

"You again! I'm surprised to see that you are still able to stand! I guess you want a few more blows, eh! Well, I'll gladly oblige you!"-

"In order to get to Sora, you'll have to go through us first!" shouted Donald, as he and Goofy took their places next to Sora.

"And if you ever plan on getting to Riku, you'll have to stop us first!" added Mickey, landing himself next to Riku.

"Same here!" said Heero, as both he and Treize took their stance next to Mickey.

"The battle will never end so long as you are alive." Treize uttered. "Only when one like you stops is through death."

"Well, Sora." chuckled Horus. "It seems that your little family has joined together against me! But there is no strength in numbers here! Besides Riku and Sora, the rest of you are not even worth my time!"

"Even if we're not, we'll fight you to the end!" said Donald.

"Do you think we stand a chance against him all by ourselves?" whispered Goofy.

"Ha! You fools are more dense than I had expected!" Horus retracted his counterweight and swung its chord around as if ready to take on anyone who dared to make their stance. "If you really intend on finishing me off, then one of you please lead the charge."

"I shall take you up on that offer!" a voice shouted. Both sides gazed about to see where the voice came from.

"Who was that?" asked Goofy.

"I don't know." replied Donald.

"You coward!" chuckled Horus. "If you really plan on fighting me, then show yourself! Don't be beating behind the bush!"

"Are you that blind, Horus! I thought after all these years, you would have known me better than that!" the voice said.

"Show yourself!"-

But as Horus gazed about, he did see a figure, standing on the highest steeple of the castle. It was figure draped in black. On his side, he wore a straight sword.

"Who are you!"-

"You mean you really don't know?" said the voice. The figure jumped from the steeple and landed softly on the grass next to the two conflicting sides. "Then you're more ignorant than expected. Either that, or you're exceptionally absentminded."

Gazing upon the face, Horus realized who it was that confronted him. And when he figured out who the new challenger was, he froze with utmost fear.

"Lord...Lord Lucien...Exmortus...Thundro." he uttered.

"So you do know who I am." said Thundro.

"Thundro?" asked Goofy.

"Who is he?" added Donald.

"Thundro!" Sora shouted. "What the heck are you doing here!"

"I thought you boys might need a hand." Thundro replied. "Goten requested that I should keep an eye out for you. Think of this as an act of civility towards him. Goten has fulfilled my expectations. Therefore, this is the way I choose to repay him for his hard earned efforts."

"We appreciate it, Thundro."-

"Don't get too comfortable though. Just because I've decided to aid you doesn't guarantee that I'll be there to give further aid in future dilemmas. I have my own schedule to keep as well."-

"I understand."-

"Thundro!" shouted Horus. "Why are you fighting against me! You are a loyal member of the Dark Empire are you not!"

"Don't misinterpret, Horus." Thundro stated. "I would have pledged further loyalty to the Empire had they not decided to deceive me with a false past in exchange with my true origins. As well, I fought to make sure that the universe was ours completely. But now I realize that goal wasn't enough to quench the thirst for conquest. I have remained loyal for over ten millennia. And in that time, I would have hoped to have gained peace so that I may pursue my own goals. Instead, I found myself engaged in endless battles and I am growing sick of it. The Empire has broken its code of honor and conduct."

"They were just mere codes of honor! Entirely outdated! Nothing more!"-

"They may have been expendable to you. But to me, honor and pride as a lord of the empire was not only sacred, it was also a way of life. But now we kill all who don't intend to battle. And to further the shame, the empire has stooped to making artificial soldiers like the mobile droids. The art and beauty of war would be lost entirely. Like the lives I took to keep her strong."-

"You are falling behind the times, Thundro! You have been placed under the delusion that honor and civility are the top priorities! Those days are dead! Stop mourning over the loss and accept the future! Accept the new concept of sparing no one! Whether they be soldier, or civilian!"-

"One who stoops to that sort of thinking has lost all sense of self and self respect! The Death Lords reputation has been overly exaggerated! When engaged in combat, in reality, we only took out those who posed the greatest threat to us! We never dared to hinder civilians, or any who refused to fight! That was Master Arakis's philosophy! To kill all who attempt to take our lives!"-

"But all are capable to taking lives! That's why they must die! Men, Women, and children!"-

"That certainly sounds more like philosophies quoted by General Ameba! It was due to his way of thinking that the empire has gained a reputation for being as ruthless as it is! Even Master Cavendish approved of it! That is why all Imperials are looked upon as barbarians! Well, I will not be that stereotypical image! I will do what I think is best and defy my old beliefs!"-

"Then you are a traitor to your people!"-

"If it means to be deprived of one's honor and to destroy what we try to conquer, then I will gladly turn against it! I finally realized how much pain and suffering I caused many innocent lives in the past. I can't change what has happened in the past, but I can make it up for it to the best of my abilities! And that is by fighting against the side of evil. All I have been taught was simple propaganda and not the truth. I have been looking only from one side only. But in order to find the true path, I must change my perspective. And now that I have, I realize there have been many flaws in my cause. To see that only the mighty are allowed to live an rule is something which bitters my taste. After encountering people who have suffered the wrath of the empire, I could not turn my sword against them again."-

"How can you dare to utter those words! You have slain millions without a second thought! With no remorse for what you did, without thinking of the consequence, you slew all that dared to stand in your way! Come back to the empire! Help me fulfill my mission! Help us fulfill our cause!"-

"It is no longer my cause, Horus. The day my loyalty died was the day I realized the truth about the empire's true intentions. I had been told that there would soon be an end. But I only realized, there is no end and there never will be."-

Thundro's mind filled with thoughts of the past and the events which caused him to turn against the organization to whom he pledged absolute loyalty. He saw these visions as clear as day.

_It was a cold day in winter. The snow had heavily fallen. Amidst the fallen snow, the frozen bodies of soldier lay mangled on the ground. The battle had been recent for their blood still lay fresh on the white of the frost. Thundro wiped the blood off his sword with his handkerchief. He had slain three hundred men in a matter of seconds. _

_"What a waste of talent! These miserable vermin!" he said to himself. Sheathing his sword, he walked away without taking a second glance._

_As night fell, the forces of the Dark Empire were encamped snuggly along a frozen river bank. Lord Thundro sat next the fire, smoking his pipe. The circles of smoke floated above his head like halos._

_"Nice night isn't it?" said Lord Arakis._

_"Certainly is." Thundro replied. _

_"After a hard days work, I think it's worth it." There was a sudden silence before Arakis spoke again. "Tell me, Thundro. How many men did you kill today?"_

_"Over three hundred I guess. Wasn't much of a challenge."-_

_"Not surprising. It's not your fault that they were weak."-_

_"I haven't had a good challenge in a long time."-_

_"You remember our mission. Find these leaders of the underground resistance and execute them. But remember not to take aggression out on civilians. We don't want to be promoting General Ameba's ideals of terrorism."-_

_"I understand. I will snuff the leaders out and kill them. Especially this Commander Alidar of the underground Kambrian resistance." Thundro took a ragged old cloak and covered himself._

_"You going?" asked Arakis._

_"I'll go into town." Thundro replied. "I don't want trouble in town. Being part of the Imperial forces, it's best to keep a low profile."_

_"Well don't be long."-_

_Thundro walked down the road towards the town only a few miles away. _

_Upon reaching the town, the streets were bustling with activity. People were busy getting ready for the annual winter celebration. Things seemed quite quaint, so Thundro popped into one of the restaurants and helped himself to a bowl of warm chowder._

_But as he walked out, he saw members of the Kambrian underground resistance. They had been bullying a young girl who was carrying a basket of bread._

_"Come on now, little girl!" said one soldier. "Give us some of that bread!"_

_"Yeah!" added another. "We're fighting for your freedom and independence! So why don't you show your support by giving us those warm loaves!"_

_"Please!" she cried. "Leave me alone. I need to bring this to...to...my mother."_

_"Oh, come on!"-_

_"No!"_

_"Give us the bread!" another one shouted, attempting to grab the basket. The girl only turned around and smacked the soldier in the face. "Why you little..."_

_Slapping her down to the ground, the soldier took the but of his gun and attempted to strike her._

_  
_

_"Hey!" shouted a voice. The three soldiers looked to see a young man standing before them._

_"Brother!" cried the young girl, running to his side and huddling close to him. He glared at the three men who assaulted his sister._

_"Just because you're members of the resistance doesn't give you the right to harass civilians." he said. "Especially, my younger sister."_

_"Just who do you think you are?" said one soldier. _

_"You're part of the underground? And yet you don't know who I am?"-_

_"Whoever you are, you'll pay! It's not nice to deprive food from those who are trying to win independence for Kambria!"-_

_"Kambria wants independence! Not a rabble running things!"-_

_"You insolent little..." One soldier lunged forward with his sword drawn. The other carried a club. Both tried to strike the young man, but the young man was too quick. Leaping over their heads, he landed behind and pummeled them to the ground. But as the young man turned, he realized that the other soldier now aimed his gun his back._

_"Now die, boy!" shouted the third soldier. But as he pulled the trigger. A flash of light passed by and the gun suddenly split into two._

_"Now that isn't a civil way of fighting." a voice said. The soldier looked to see Thundro with his sword drawn. "To think that you'd stoop to killing someone when they least expect it. That's a tactic a guy like you should save for the Imperials. If I were you, I'd walk away and never look back." The soldier growled at him._

_"Let's go!" he said. And the three soldiers retreated. _

_"Are you alright?" asked the young man to his sister._

_"I think so." she replied. He smiled. Then, he gazed up and looked at Thundro who was sheathing his sword and prepared to walk away from the scene._

_"Hey, you!" the young man cried. "Come over here!"_

_Thundro detested the way this young man addressed him. But being an honorable man, he turned to greet him. As Thundro approached him, he realized that there was a sparkle in his eyes. The sign of a pure hearted individual. The young man stretched forth his hand._

_"Thank you very much." the young man uttered. Thundro returned the gesture._

_"A pleasure." he replied._

_"Please. Would you join us for tea?"-_

_"I accept your kind offer, Sir."-_

_The two entered the same restraint where Thundro had purchased his chowder earlier. The three of them sat at a table, overlooking the falling snow. The young girl served the tea._

_"I really must thank you properly for aiding me when I was in danger. I must." said the young man._

_"I was only doing what I thought was best as a chivalrous man." Thundro replied. "I could not allow you to die in such a way. You look like a young man of potential."_

_"So do you. Aren't you a young man like me?"-_

_"I'm older than you think. I'm Oceanarian."-_

_"Really. So you must be at least two hundred years old." Thundro shook his head. "Three hundred?" again Thundro shook his head. "Five hundred the most then?" Still Thundro shook his head._

_"I am over ten millennia old."-_

_  
_

_"My goodness! And you are still as fair as I am!" the young man chuckled. His sister smiled. "So are you a member of the resistance?"_

_"I am not." Thundro replied. "I have only come here for certain means of business."_

_"What sort of business?" asked the young man._

_"Not much out of the ordinary."-_

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."-_

_"That's alright." Thundro then looked at his watch. "Oh dear. I'm sorry, but I must excuse myself for tonight. I must return to my settlement." He gave a polite bow and began to walk away._

_"Wait!" said the young man. "I didn't catch your name."_

_"My name is Lucien." Thundro replied. "And yours?"_

_"Amerin." replied the young man. "And this is my sister, Ishtar."_

_"A pleasure to meet you." added Ishtar._

_"Thank you." Thundro explained. "Well, Amerin. Hopefully, we will meet again very soon." And Thundro went on his very way._

_As he left. Another young man, a boy from the resistance, came before Amerin._

_"Sir!" he said. "We're ready to launch our strike against the Imperial forces."_

_"Excellent." Amerin replied. "And how are the elites?"_

_"Itching for a fight, Sir."-_

_"That's good. Well, then let's be on our way."-_

_At the same time, Thundro managed to make it back to the encampment. He soon noticed that Lord Arakis was nowhere to be seen. He pulled aside one soldier._

_"Where is Lord Arakis?" asked Thundro._

_"He was summoned back to Vandor, Sir." the soldier explained. "He will be rejoining us within a week, or so. That means you are in charge, my lord."_

_"Very well."-_

_It was at that moment, a powerful explosion rang throughout the camp. Followed by another and anther until a series of explosions rang within the camp._

_"What's going on!" said Thundro._

_"We're being attacked!" shouted one of the soldiers. "It's the resistance force!"_

_"All hands to battle stations! Drive the enemy back now!"-_

_But as the Imperial troops took their stand, they saw thousands of rebels coming down on them. The explosions continued._

_"Fight them off as best you can!" shouted Thundro. But the situation had changed and rebels swarmed into the encampment. Thundro drew his sword and slew all who got in his way. He held back his true strength so as not to endanger the lives of his men. But as he fought, he gazed at the overwhelming force coming from all directions. His men were being slaughtered. Thundro charged into the thick of the fight. However, as he went to face them men coming at him. He saw a familiar face in the front. It was Amerin and he was leading the charge._

_"For our independence!" cried Amerin. But as he charged into the camp, he too gazed upon Thundro. "Lu...Lucien?"_

_"Amerin?" Thundro uttered. Suddenly, a shell blew up behind Thundro, knocking out cold. His entire back was littered with shrapnel and he fell to the ground. Darkness took the light from his eyes and he felt his body grow heavy and sink into the ground. It seemed like the end._

_  
_

_Thundro awoke to see his wounds mended, and himself snuggled under soft blankets. He awoke to see another familiar face looking at him._

_"I was wondering when you'd come to." said the voice. Thundro gazed for a while, seeing only a blur. But as his vision cleared, he realized who it was that was looking at him. _

_"Amerin." he uttered. "Where am I?"_

_"You are in the underground headquarters of the resistance." Amerin replied. "Hard to believe that we're enemies now."_

_"What do you mean? Are...are you a member of the underground."-_

_"More so than you think, Lucien. Or should I say Lucien Exmortus Thundro."-_

_"So you know who I am then."-_

_"Your reputation proceeds you. I hadn't given you my full name. My full name is Amerin Alidar."-_

_"Alidar? You mean you're the leader of the underground resistance?" Alidar smiled and nodded. Thundro lay his head on the pillow. "I can't believe it. The one man I befriended and that's the one man I was assigned to seek and kill. So what do you plan to do with me now?"_

_"If you are saying that you are a hostage, or a prisoner, you are sadly mistaken. You are our honored guest here." chuckled Alidar._

_"But why would you take me in, knowing about who I am and what I am?" asked Thundro. Alidar stood up and gazed into the mirror._

_"My mother and father were killed by the Imperial forces when I was still a boy." Amerin began. "I saw them burn into ashes. People of Kambria were killed for no reason at all. Ever since, I had a hatred for all Imperials. Hated them with the utmost inner part of my heart and soul. Since being the most strong and ambitious amongst my peers, I was chosen to lead a rebellion. And I did, and I lead the resistance well. I spared no Imperial and destroyed all Imperial linked resources. My sister, on the other hand, had a different aspect. She realized that no matter how much she hated the Imperials, her hatred would never bring our parents back. So instead, she began to tell me that I must not be like our foes, and show them mercy. I never took heed of her words. I thought they were just the ideals of a naive little girl who knew nothing about how the world works. I was always under the perspective that all Imperials were bloodthirsty and coldhearted. Then I met you. Not knowing that you were the one in charge of the Imperial forces, you seemed a pretty calm and subtle individual. The image your reputation seems to neglect. So instead of killing you, I thought it best to take you in. It's what my sister wanted."_

_"But that doesn't change the fact that I am a lord of the Dark Empire." Thundro began. "Your aspect of my reputation is correct. I slay and kill only for the sake of reaching my goals. So, I kill as I see fit. However, as a member of the Death Lords, we have taken a vow never to harm civilians. Master Arakis has given me strict orders not to harm any civilians. It is against our code of honor."_

_"You kill because you must, to gain your goal. I do the same thing. The life of a soldier and a warrior is not an easy one."-_

_"Indeed, it is not."-_

_Just then, Ishtar came into the room, carrying a cup of warm chowder and bread. She laid it on the bedside table._

_"Are you alright?" asked Ishtar. "Mr. Thundro?"_

_"In the best health thanks to you and your brother." Thundro responded._

_  
_

_"I brought you some nice hot chowder. Please eat while it's still hot. We'll I shall leave you two alone." She bowed in good gesture and left the room._

_"She is something else."-_

_"Yes, she is." Amerin replied. "Pure of heart and totally innocent. I wish I were just as kind as her, but my hands have been too stained with blood."_

_"Where are my things?" asked Thundro._

_"I had your uniform mended and your weapons polished."-_

_"My weapon?. I thought you would have had them confiscated."-_

_"There was no need. It doesn't seem like your style to stab someone in the back who has cared for you. I could see it in your eyes, the first time we met. You say you must kill, but I believe that your heart still regrets ever taking a life. Even as you are now, I think there is still goodness there."-_

_"But how can that be? I am the most ruthless of the Death Lords next to Lord Arakis."-_

_"I know. But you seem to be the type that thinks twice about what you do. Despite what other members of the Empire say about you. You're alright by my standards." Amerin looked at his watch. "Well, I better get going. Rest up and enjoy yourself. If you wish to go, then nobody here will stop you. But if we must face each other on the battlefield again, I want you to know I will bear no ill will towards you." Amerin reached the door._

_"Wait!" cried Thundro. "May I ask how you are able to remain so calm and act so compassionate to an enemy?"_

_"Peace can never be attained if both sides hate each other." Amerin replied. "It's best that one gives in for the sake of peace don't you think? I hope to God that this war will be over soon."_

_"What are you fighting for?" asked Thundro. "Why do you fight?"_

_"I fight for the sake of protecting something dear to me. To me, fighting to protect people is the best course of action that one can take." With those final words, Amerin left the room. Thundro placed his head down on his pillow and gazed at the ceiling in a blank stare._

_"Fighting to protect? What will that accomplish? Then again, what will my cause accomplish? More hate towards the empire? More distrust within the empire? I fight to unify the universe under one great power so conflict will cease to exist. But conflict will never die so long as more than one person lives in this universe. Have I been straying down the wrong path? Perhaps it is best that I find the answer for myself. I must leave the empire and chart my own path and what it means for me to fight." Thundro lay in his bed all that night thinking. Wondering whether he fought for a righteous cause, or not. His heart was still pure for he would never have otherwise allowed such sentiment from such a young man to phase him._

_The week passed by slowly and Thundro found himself wandering out of his quarters and strolling amongst the people. The people, awed about this Imperial flocked to see if he was truly as dangerous and as ugly as many had perceived. Some detested the sight of him while others looked on in wonder._

_"I see you are out and about." said Amerin. "Planning on returning to your own lines?"_

_"I was thinking about what you had said to me those few days ago." Thundro explained. "Perhaps you were right about me. I spent too long looking through one side of the window, I never bothered to see through the other side."_

_  
_

_"At least you're making progress. But I hear that Lord Arakis is planning to attack us in a few hours. That is why we're preparing for battle. If you want, you may leave and return to your own lines. No one here will stop you."-_

_"Perhaps that is the best course of action, but if I did that, than my trek here would be meaningless. You and your sister have opened my eyes, Amerin. So if it is alright, I will stay here."-_

_"It's your call. But I fear if you fight with us, you will be branded a traitor within the Dark Empire. Is that what you want?"-_

_"I don't know if it is what I want, or not. But I know this for a fact. You and Ishtar have been the only friends I ever made. The only ones I know who care about my fate and my life. Therefore, in return, I shall act as your bodyguard. An act of civility towards you. At the same time, I will speak with Lord Arakis and see if he won't back down from attacking you."-_

_"Diplomacy won't work in this particular scenario. The Imperials intend to wipe us out completely."-_

_"I will at least try. Give me at least one hour."-_

_"Very well. I will trust you to your word."-_

_"I shall return." With that, Thundro flew into the air and out of sight, heading towards the Imperial HQ._

_"Are you sure it was alright to let him go like that?" asked a soldier._

_"Thundro will keep his word, but the Empire will not." said Amerin. "I know that to be so. Continue supplying for battle."_

_"Brother." said Ishtar, nuzzling up to her big brother. Amerin embraced his younger sibling and gazed up into the sky._

_"I'm sorry, Lucien." he thought to himself. "You won't be able to fulfill your vow as promised. This will be the last time we ever meet, my friend."_

_Thundro reached the HQ of the Dark Empire. At the main tent, Lord Arakis awaited his arrival._

_"Lord Thundro!" said Arakis. "So glad to see that you are alive and well. I hope our Kambrian adversaries treated you with respect."_

_"Better than expected, my lord."-_

_"Come into my tent. We have some matters to discuss."-_

_The shock came when Lord Arakis told Thundro of the news that they have been relieved of the Kambrian project._

_"What do you mean relieved!" Thundro protested. _

_"As I said." Arakis stated. "We are no longer needed here. We have been replaced by a lower ranking general."_

_"And who might that be!"- _

_"If you please!" Arakis beckoned a figure to come forward. It was General Ameba of the Midnight Organization._

_"General Ameba will be taking over!" said Thundro, angrily. "No! No! I won't have it!"_

_"Lord Thundro! What has gotten in to you!" shouted Arakis. "General Ameba is the best candidate to deal with the underground resistance!"_

_  
_

_"But I know how he acts, Sir! He will kill every man, woman, and child!"-_

_"We have no other choice! His orders came directly from his Excellency, Master Cavendish! We have no other say in the matter!"-_

_"Don't worry!" said Ameba._

_"What do you mean don't worry!" Thundro shouted. _

_"I was given strict orders from Master Cavendish to only subdue them. He wants the leaders alive! And he has further ordered me not to kill any non-military personnel! You have my word on that! I will not disobey any orders from His Excellency! I will send a messenger to the rebels and say we are willing to make a fair compromise."-_

_"Come now, Thundro." Arakis uttered. "Our shuttle is waiting!"_

_Thundro, not willing to go against the will of Cavendish, agreed. Besides, he knew that Lord Cavendish was absolute when it came to his orders. General Ameba had no choice, but to obey. Otherwise, he would pay the penalty for disobeying orders. So for a time, Thundro was relieved._

_He and Arakis took the shuttle to the cruiser and flew back to Vandor. However, the situation did not bode well with Thundro. There was still a feeling of uncertainty about. And he sensed something had gone terribly wrong. When the cruiser went into warp drive, Thundro felt a sudden pain in his stomach as if something had gone terrible wrong._

_As they reached Vandor. News of the fall of the Kambrian Rebellion had spread throughout the Empire._

_"Attention! Attention!" the broadcast said. "The rebellion in Kambria is finished! All rebels took a last stand at their main HQ! None were spared during the onslaught. It is said that Amerin Alidar and his younger sister, Ishtar Alidar have both been killed in action. Defiant until the end, they refused a compromise given by our forces and all were killed without mercy! Well, let this be a lesson to those who defy the Empire. Accept our ways, or die!"_

_Thundro, devastated by the news, fell to his knees. The promise which he had given had been denied. As he retired to his quarters, he soundly wept over the loss. He later learned that the compromise never took place. A messenger was never ordered to be sent to give word to Amerin. General Ameba ordered an all out attack and to spare no one. Many of the rebels had surrendered without a fight only to be killed in cold blood. All civilians slain and as further detail pointed out, Amerin fought desperately to protect his sister, Ishtar. The last thing recorded into the log was that Ishtar was killed while her brother lay dead in her arms. She died tightly embracing him. _

The flashbacks had happened in a split second, but the details were as clear as day. Thundro stood there, before Horus. His heart filled with anger.

"That day has been burned into my memory, permanently scarring my heart!" Thundro said. "The day my entire universe went crashing on me! My honor had been stripped! And it suddenly dawned on me! No one was safe so long as the Empire continued its reign of terror! Soon after, I found out that the Empire was further hiding my real past! And that further insulted me! How could I remain loyal to an organization who dares to betray me after so many years of undying faithfulness! How could I stay loyal with individuals who conceal things from me which I find necessary for me to know! Why should I remain loyal when they show no support, or concern for me! I was only needed because of how quickly I could kill and how efficient I was on the battlefield! Not because of who I was as a person! To the eye of the Empire, despite my rank, I am still a clone! And a clone has no need for concern because they can always be replaced! Well, let's see how well you do now that I have dispensed with my DNA material to help produce another clone!"

"But you go so far as to betray His Excellency!" said Horus, angrily. "Over the deaths of a couple of verminous rebels!"

"They were more than rebels to me! They were people whom I swore to protect! And because of the actions of the Empire, I was denied that duty! I couldn't even protect my friends! The ones who found something more in me than just an efficient killing machine!" Thundro gripped his sword.

"So you dare to fight against me! Horus, sixth member of the Cavendish Shinobis! Then, I will show you no mercy, traitor!"-

"Your threats are nothing to me! You dare to stand in my way, then your death has been assured this day!"-

"DIE YOU!" Horus retracted the counterweight of his Mantrion blade and swung the chord about like a lasso. He then thrust the counterweight at Thundro. But the Death Lord only jumped into the air and skidded across the chord. He drew his sword and switched to striking under handed. He somersaulted over Horus's head.

"Such half-hearted notions and a false sense of determination cannot defeat me!" Like lightning, he thrust his sword into the ninja's back. Landing safely onto the ground, he flipped his blade to the overhand position, swiped the sword clean of blood, and slowly sheathed it. Thundro then stood up right in a military stance.

Within seconds after, Horus's mouth spit up blood and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The heavily armored ninja fell heavily onto the grass.

"The deed is done." Thundro uttered. "My fate has been sealed." With that, Thundro leaped again and flew out of sight.

"Thundro!" cried Sora. Beckoning him back.

"Leave him alone, Sora." said Riku.

"Riku?"-

"It's best we leave him at that."-

"So that's it?" said Treize. After all that, the battle was one. But not by any of us.

"It's finally over." added Heero.

Within minutes, there were the sounds of engines approaching. The group looked to spot a cruiser descending upon them.

"Heero!" cried a voice.

"It's Relena." Heero uttered.

"Hey, Heero!" cried another voice.

"Duo!"-

"Did you hear!" shouted Duo. "The Aquatic Fortresses, they're destroyed. They just fell from the sky!"

"It's over!" said Relena. "It's finally over!"

"Yes." said Heero.

"You did it, you guys!" shouted Quatre, joyfully.

"What about the people of Earth and the colonies?" asked Heero.

"We managed to save a lot more than expected."-

"You boys certainly did a good job." chuckled Zechs, standing behind Relena.

"I must commend you on a mission well executed." added Treize. "In this time of turmoil, both Earth and space have joined together to fight this cunning scourge."

"We owe it all to Riku, Sora, and the rest of their friends." said Heero. "They're the ones who won the day for us."

"Aw, it was nothing." Sora replied.

Riku walked up to the motionless body of Horus and searched about. Just underneath the shoulder guard, he discovered a message disk.

"Here it is, Sora!" said Riku. "The next clue!"

"Great! That's one more clue to help find Kairi!" said Sora, happily. "Almost there. Almost there."-

"Soon, Kairi. Soon."-

"But soon isn't going to happen!" a voice roared out suddenly.

"What was that?" asked Goofy.

"More likely, who was that!" added Mickey.

"That voice!" said Riku. "I recognize that voice!"

The sky suddenly turned pitch black over the skies of the former Romefeller HQ. Thunder and lightning struck down, almost touching the soil.

"You will never succeed!" the voice called. "Give up while you still hold on to your lives!"

"That voice is familiar alright!" said Sora "It must be...it must be..." Fear suddenly struck Sora's face.

"If you are thinking what I think you're thinking, then you are correct!" chuckled the voice. The lightning outlined a dark silhouette on top of the castle roof. A familiar individual that only Riku and Sora knew.

"General Kai!" said Riku.

"That's correct! You might as well stop now! You will never succeed in fulfilling your mission!"-

"That's what you think! We already took down two of your minions, Kai! It should be you who's ready to quit!"-

"We have a score to settle!" shouted Sora. "Come down here and take what's coming to you!"

"Oh, no, no, no!" said Kai. "It's much to early for our little rematch! Perhaps, in the near future maybe! Until then, I bid you good luck! You'll need it!"

With that, the skies cleared and Kai was nowhere to be found. But the final disturbance was forgotten. Peace had been restored and a new era made its way to both Earth and space.

Upon reaching the ruins of the Sanc Kingdom, the groups went their separate ways. While reaching their destination. Heero, Treize, and the other gundam pilots shared the outline of the gundams and the mobile dolls. They explained the reaction time and the special characteristics of each suit as the group passed through the war torn battlefields of downed mobile dolls. Eventually, Heero and the others went off to begin on how they would start reconstruction. At the same time, Sora and the KH group headed back to the gummi ship. Placing the disk into the decoder, they awaited their next message. Sora stretched his muscles.

"Thanks for giving us those Senzu beans." said Sora.

"Everything healed in only a matter of seconds." added Riku, stomping his healed leg. "Amazing what those little things can do."

"Yeah. All out wounds have healed."-

"But we shouldn't use them up too much." said Goofy. "I only have four left."

"We'll just have to conserve as much as we can then." Mickey suggested.

"Quiet!" said Donald. "The message is being relayed."

_Take necessary information to the world codenamed "Seed Realm." Anubis will be awaiting for your arrival. He has been assigned to increase hostilities in the war commencing there. Most likely, to intervene himself_.

"The Seed Realm?" said Sora. "That's where we'll find our next clue."

"Then, let's get going." added Riku.

"It won't be as simple as that." a voice said. The party turned to see Thundro standing against the wall. "The information you've been given is no longer accurate."

"What do you mean?"-

"Anubis is in the Seed Realm, but he won't be the only one there. General Marcus Durovano, leader of the three Gatler divisions will be there. And General Ameba will be there as well. They intend to use the data Horus gave them from this world."-

"From this world?" asked Sora.

"That's correct. Even though you succeeded in saving this world, you failed to stop the relay of information sent by Horus. Now the Imperial forces will test their mobile dolls in a realm that wasn't even supposed to encounter them."-

"Mobile dolls? You mean those unmanned mobile suits that Heero was talking about?"-

"Now why would he want to use those things?" asked Riku.

"He intends to use the mobile dolls on the inhabitants on the Seed Realm." Thundro explained. "You don't realize it, but the mobile dolls also act as larger versions of the Empire's own mobile droids. However, mobile droids are man size weapons and only serve for open field battles. But mobile dolls might try to be used to take out alliance supply convoys in deep space. Since many ships of the alliance have distortion fields, even the powerful blast cannons of mobile droids can't penetrate the shield. However, because mobile dolls have a large size, they will be able to use weapons designed to pierce through the distortion field. And since humanoid type battle fighters, like mobile dolls, are the most advanced type of fighting machine, the Empire will most likely manufacture them in large quantities."

"So by invading these worlds, the Dark Empire intends to exploit new fighting techniques to add to its arsenal."-

"Precisely. Well, it's best you get going. The Empire waits for no one."-

Thundro turned and flew out of the ship.

"We best get going if we want to find that next clue, Riku." said Sora.

"Yeah. The next...clue." Riku replied. But he responded as if something had been bothering him.

"You OK, Riku?"-

"I'm fine. Just had something on my mind. Not important though."

"Well, let's get on our way!" said Donald. "We have a long voyage ahead of us!"

The engines ignited and the gummi ship was off to its next destination.

Meanwhile, in the city of Vandor, the capital of the Dark Empire, Kairi awaited the coming for her two best friends. Since the day she had been imprisoned, she received no visitors. Unlike most prisoners, she was well treated with a fine suite. A penthouse more like. She was given free meals, free service, and free entertainment. However, despite the great luxuries, she refused to wallow in it. Food went untouched, service was never requested, and the drinks she received were never poured, or opened. She only sat on her bed, gazing out at the sky. At night, she would sometimes cry, hoping that Riku and Sora would come. When they did, she'd bundle them in her arms and weep.

"Riku. Sora." she uttered. "Please come for me. I know you will."

"Quite a magnificent facility of luxury wouldn't you say?" a voice said from behind her. Kairi turned to see Lord Arakis standing there in the doorway. He walked in and helped himself to a glass of red wine. "You must try some of this wine. It was officially hand picked by me. The taste of it proves that it has aged well. Shipped from the fields of Glembrose."

"What is it that you want with me?" Kairi demanded. "Am I a hostage? A prisoner? What!"

"Neither, Miss Kairi. You are an honored guest here. If we meant for you to be a prisoner, we would have locked you in the dungeons below. And believe me, they aren't as luxurious as this. So at least humor us by indulging in some of the things we give you. We want you to be comfortable."-

"You take me from my home, my friends, isolate me in a strange place, and you expect me to be comfortable! What kind of sick game are you planning!" Arakis only took another sip from his cup.

"This is simply a test of endurance." he uttered. "And you are the prize. I want to see if the power of their hearts is as strong as most rumors say. That is why I took the liberty of pitting them against the best ninjas in the universe. If they succeed, then you will go free. If they fail, however, I don't really care what happens to you. You'll be released and sent home as far as I'm concerned."

"What do you mean if they fail?"-

"Because they are fighting against the power of the Cavendish Shinobis, they will definitely have their hands full. Most likely, by facing each member, there may be a chance that Riku and Sora will perish."-

"Perish!"-

"That's what I said."-

"You monster! You take me from my home and lock me up here! All for the sake of seeing my friends suffer!"-

"Through their sheer force of will, Riku and Sora will continue to plow forward in order to save you. But the main focus is to see if their own bond will strengthen. If they would be willing to go so far as to die for one another."-

"Riku and Sora are inseparable, as they are inseparable to me! They will come for me."-

"No matter what the cost? Even when it comes to betraying one another? It has happened before. So there's no denying that it'll happen again."-

"You sick minded freak!" shouted Kairi, angrily. "All this just so you can make a reality soap opera out of there hardships! You don't care about what other people think! You don't care about what happens to people! All you care about is seeing how far they'll go and how much they'll suffer!"

"But being as grotesque and cold-hearted as it may seem, do you not wonder about how they will endure." said Arakis. He detached his sword and put it on the table, leaving it unguarded. "I'm sure you care for them, but you also are longing to see the drama unfold."

"I would never dare think of such things. All I care about is hoping that those two come safely and all three of us will go home together." Kairi quietly lurched forward to grab the sword, while Arakis had his back toward her.

"But that's the beauty of true friendship." Arakis chuckled. "For such close friends to go to the ends of the universe and back for each other. Now, there lies the true passion of drama."

"Toying with other peoples lives, and manipulating their feelings is not dramatic. It's only cruel."-

"I have no doubt that Riku and Sora will succeed. However, while on their trek to save you, they may realize that there is a greater picture to be seen. Your life is just a part of something much greater. And the hatred and longing you feel now is insignificant when compared to the fate of the universe itself."-

Arakis turned to face Kairi. But as he did, he realized that she had taken hold of his sword and held it in front of her. Arakis, not shocked by what confronted him, only calmly sipped his wine again. He took a step towards Kairi.

"You take one more step towards me and I swear I'll run you through!" She hollered, the sword pointed at Arakis's heart. But Arakis only snickered and continued to lurch forward. He placed his wine glass on the table.

"Just what do you intend to do with that sword again? Run me through you said?" he uttered. He continued to step forward and Kairi began to step back.

"Stay back! I...I mean it!"-

"If you really intend to kill me, then you would have done it already. However, I know your type. You're not the sort to kill anyone. You have never killed anyone in you life. Despite what Riku and Sora do, you are not the type to accept the thought of taking the life of another. No matter who they are. Besides, you can't kill me."-

"Why can't I!" she jabbed at Arakis's chest with the sword. Arakis did not relent however.

"The reason is simple, Miss Kairi. For one thing, even if you did kill me and try to escape, the mobile droids would be all over you like flies on a carcass. You wouldn't even have a chance to defend yourself. The minute you step foot out of the designated perimeter, the mobile droids will swarm on you, to seek and kill. Also, because you lack a special chip in you hand, that identifies you as a member of the Dark Empire, the electrical security system will send sixty million volts of electricity surging through your body. And I would hate to have such an exceptionally beautiful, young lady meet the same fate as an ordinary pot roast. Finally, The reason why your being taken care of so well, is because of my request. Because I am a member of the Three Excellencies, I hold one of the highest positions throughout the Empire. However, if something were to happen to me, then the Empire would find you only wasting Imperial resources and will have you removed to the dungeon. And prisoners down there are barely fed. To add to that, if word gets out that you slew one of the Three Excellencies, that is the highest form of treason and you will suffer a slow and agonizing death. Now I'm sure you wouldn't want that would you. So weather you try to escape, kill me and later be killed yourself, you will end up dead. And I don't know about you, but I don't think that Riku and Sora would like it, coming all this way to save you only to find out that you are dead. Then again, they too have their own lives to think about."-

He budged Kairi against the wall, the sword still between them. Arakis leaned on the sword, daring Kairi to make a thrust. Kairi, knowing that it wasn't for herself, but her friends, lowered the sword and dropped it on the floor. Arakis backed off and took up his glass again.

"And Riku and Sora?" she uttered. "You say they'll make it?"

"That's not for me to decide." said Arakis. "I gave the Cavendish Shinobis the order to kill them at all cost. No doubt, Riku and Sora will to the same. What happens to the ninjas is one thing though. But interfering with Imperial affairs is another." Arakis further sipped the red wine. "As long as they concentrate on taking out the Cavendish Shinobis alone, then everything's alright. They'll continue as planned. However, the moment they begin to harass other Imperial forces in the vicinity, then we have a problem. They will be branded as official enemies of the Dark Empire and they will be tracked down and killed. But I'm sure, knowing Riku and Sora, it'll only be the Cavendish Shinobis they will attempt to stop. The reason is because your safety means more than the safety of anyone else. They won't risk their necks for total strangers. Certainly, they will aid strangers if it means getting the next clue and fighting the next Dragon Ninja. But the minute they attack other Imperials besides the Cavendish Shinobi members, we will have a problem. So far however, the ninjas they encountered and defeated have just been isolated incidences. Even though they were involved in the fight against the elite swordsmen at Traverse Town, I will consider that an isolated incident and let that slide. But if they dare to attack our forces a second time... Well, I'm sure you know the rest."

"But Riku and Sora could never allow people to be hurt by others." said Kairi, angrily. "Especially by an organization as despicable as your own! They will come for me and they will save people! Even if it means attacking your forces head on!"

"That would be a mistake to reckon with."-

"Prove me wrong then. How do you know they won't succeed if they decide to take on the Imperial forces?"-

It was then, Arakis heard the faint rumble of marching feet outside. He smiled and lowered his glass.

"Come with me and you will find out exactly what Riku and Sora will be facing." Arakis uttered. He walked onto the balcony and pointed. Kairi stepped along side him and gazed at what he intended her to see. What she saw was a sight that was both horrific and majestic at the same time. And endless line of soldiers formed in battalion blocks marched down the main road of the city. Their banners unfurled and flew freely in the air. Kairi's heart was struck as she saw not only thousands of men, but perhaps millions.

"Behold." Arakis continued. "The Empire. The beauty, the might...the terror of the Empire. No army can stand against her. No nation can stand against her. When confronted, or threatened, her retribution is swift and merciless. All fear the sound of her armies marching out to defend her. The only way to avoid such terrible wrath from the Empire...is to serve her, to nourish her, and submit yourself totally for her everlasting glory. The efforts of only a few are insignificant to the almighty power of the Empire."

"You're wrong." said Kairi. "Sora and Riku will come and they will beat you and your invincible armies. You're too arrogant for your own good and that will lead to your downfall."

"Your faith in your friends will be yours. You put to much faith in their abilities. Certainly, Riku and Sora are powerful, skilled, and determined. But they are still human and are still mortal. And mortals die when their bodies give in. Even if their hearts and minds don't want to give in, their bodies will in the end. The reason is because their bodies can only endure so much. And to match against something as big as the Empire head on? That is absolute foolery."-

"You underestimate them! You will see!"-

It was then that an attendant came in and bowed respectfully to Lord Arakis and Kairi.

"Pardon for the intrusion, my lord." he said. "Your shuttle is ready."

"Very well." said Arakis. He lowered his glass and picked up his sword and sheath. He then gazed back at Kairi. "If you really have so much faith in your friends, then we shall soon find out. We've just received word that they are headed to the 'Seed Realm.' That is not only where the next Cavendish Shinobi resides, but the 3rd Imperial Fleet of the Dark Empire. As long as they don't interfere with the activities of the fleet, they'll be alright. However, once they decide to assault the fleet, that means that their objective to fight has changed and we will deal with them harshly." Arakis walked out the door, only to stop a second time. "But then again, perspectives always change, including my own. So you might be lucky. I would probably give them some leverage every now and then. As long as you believe, they will come for you."

"Wait!" cried Kairi, her eyes teary. "You say you might kill them, but then you say you might not! What are you planning! I don't get it!"

"I just want them to fight on, knowing that they gave it their best. Think of it as my act of civility towards them. I don't want all their efforts to be totally in vain."-

With those final words, the door closed behind him Arakis once again left Kairi standing alone.


	11. Dolls of the Empire

Dolls of the Empire

The gummi ship had just recently arrived on the surface of Earth. Appearing over the ocean, the gummi ship hovered over the watery surface. Donald searched the area for any sign of hostilities. Somewhere in this world coded 'the Seed Realm' the next member of the Cavendish Shinobis awaited them.

"Is there any sign of land yet?" asked Sora.

"The scanner's still looking." Donald replied. He later picked up a significant land mass. "Ah! Land ho!"

"Somewhere out there, the next member of the Cavendish Shinobis awaits us." said Riku.

"And with that, another clue to Kairi's whereabouts." added Sora. As they gazed upon the land mass that drew ever closer, they realized there was a blockade of ships before them. "What are those?"

"They're ships!" Donald said, slightly irritated by the stupid question. "What did you think they were!"-

"No need to get angry. I was just curious."-

"What kind of ships though?" asked Mickey.

"They look like big fishing boats." chuckled Goofy.

"Fishing boats, nothing." Riku said, pointing out at the grey hulls. "Those are battleships and aircraft carriers."

"You mean..." asked Sora.

"Yes. There's a war going on."-

"It's just like the attack on the Sanc Kingdom back in the Wing Realm."-

Suddenly, a transmission message came bellowing forth through the gummi's cockpit.

"Attention! Attention!" said the message. "Unidentified aircraft! This is the Earth Forces calling! You are entering restricted air space! If you do not turn back now you will be fired upon! I repeat, if you don't turn back now, you will be fired upon!"

"Attention Earth Forces." Mickey replied. "We come in peace! We mean no hostile intention! Please allow us to reach land safely!"

"This is your last warning!" the Earth Forces repeated. "Turn about, or you will be fired upon!"

"Is he serious?" asked Sora.

"Why don't we just do what they tell us?" asked Goofy. "We could find another way to get to land right?"

"That option sounds good to me." said Mickey. "Let's do it!"

"We'll make a sharp turn!" said Donald. "Everyone, hold on tight!"

The gummi ship made a sharp turn and was almost out of the way of the fleet. There was a sigh of relief amongst the group. But as they neared the end of the turn, Goofy for some reason, lost his grip and slammed right into Donald.

"Sorry, Donald." said Goofy, humbly.

"I told you to hold on tight, you nitwit!" shouted Donald.

"I said I was sorry."-

But as Goofy stood up, placing his hand on the control panel, he accidentally pushed the button that fired the gummi's beam cannons. Everyone gazed as if in a slow motion effect, watching as the button was pushed. Two energy beams bellowed forth and made impact near the fleet. One blew up dangerously near one of the cruisers, while the other blew the anchor off one of the battleships.

"Goofy!" they all cried.

"Uh...Sorry?" he uttered, humbly. Another message blew out over the gummi's loud speaker from the fleet.

"You have engaged in hostile activity towards the Earth Forces!" the message stated. "Prepare to be fired upon!"

"Is that a bad thing?"-

"What do you think, you dip!" roared Donald.

"We have incoming bogeys!" shouted Riku.

"Well, at least this gives us a good excuse to reach land straight away." chuckled Mickey.

"But I wish it could have been under less hostile circumstances." uttered Sora.

The gummi's armory fired away at each of the incoming missiles and bombs that dared to strike. However, as they passed the line of hostile ships, they realized the gummi was not equipped with rear guns. So there was nothing to counter the bombs. A sudden explosion rocked the little gummi.

"We've been hit!" cried Goofy. "We've been hit!"

"You think I don't know that!" shouted Donald.

"We won't last!" Mickey stated. "That last missile crippled us badly! Another hit and we're finished!"

The group looked on as more missiles began to approach. However, there was a sudden energy beam that blasted out, detonating the incoming missiles.

"What the..." said Sora. He gazed up and saw two powerful mobile suits pass over their heads. "Look! Those are mobile suits!"

"Gundams!" added Riku.

"More Gundams?" Donald bickered. Another incoming message reached the gummi.

"Attention!" shouted. "This is Aube calling! Unidentified craft! You are entering hostile territory!"

"We request permission to land."-

"Request granted! You shall be treated as temporary refugees!" Another message reached the gummi.

"This is Kira Yamato! Pilot of the Gundam Freedom! I'll back you up!"

"Concurred!" said the second pilot. "This is Athrun Zala! Pilot of the mobile suit Justice! I'll assist your withdrawal!"

"Understood!" said Donald. The party watched as the two gundams successfully shot down every incoming projectile.

"That's incredible." said Sora. "Being able to shoot all those missiles without missing?"

"Now is not the time, Sora!" Riku uttered.

"Slow this thing down!" said Goofy. "Hurry!"

"Shut up, Goofy!" shouted Donald. "You think you can do better!"

"Put more pressure on the steering control!" said Sora.

"I can't do that, Sora! I'm putting as much pressure as I can. But too much pressure and the steering control will break! Then, there will be no way to slow down!"-

"The question is, Donald, do you like pancakes?" asked Mickey.

"What does that have to do with anything?"-

"Because at the rate of speed we're going, by the time we make impact, we'll end up flatter than the state of Wyoming."-

"Glass of plastic?" asked Sora.

"What do you mean Glass, or plastic?" asked Riku.

"When we hit land at this accelerated speed, we may end up in either a glass jar, or a plastic bag!"-

Riku smacked Sora at the back of the head.

"You and Mickey aren't helping!"-

"You know..." said Goofy. "I like pancakes."

"SHUT UP!" the others snapped.

The gummi ship began to slow, but not slow enough to make a soft landing. The party could only watch on helplessly as their ship made impact.

"Brace yourselves for impact, guys!" shouted Donald. "We're going in!

The KH group began to scream out at the top of their lungs as the ship took impact. It first skidded across the surface of the water, slowing the speed slightly. But as it reached the sandy beaches, Donald decelerated the remaining boosters and thrust on the air breaks to maximum. The gummi skipped across the sand, the gang still screaming for their lives. But as the ship went further onto the sandy beaches, its speed radically died down. Until finally, the ship came to a complete stop against a tall sand dune. Despite that however, Sora, Mickey, Goofy, and Donald were all still screaming out.

"Guys?" Riku uttered. Still, his friends kept screaming. "Guy! Guys! QUIET!"

The others suddenly stopped screaming. They gazed around.

"We're alive?" asked Goofy.

"Of course we're alive!" Donald replied. "Your still talking and I'm still having to hear you talk!"

"Nice landing." Sora uttered.

"Thanks."-

"Did you ever consider drag racing, Donald?" said Mickey. "You'd be very good at it."

The party slowly emerged from the damaged gummi ship and landed onto the white sand of the beach. As they walked about. They was as the enemy ships ceased their fire. At the same time, the two mobile suits that rescued them landed softly on the beach, not more than twenty yards away. The two pilots, one in blue, one in red, emerged from their cockpits and steadily descended from their mobile suits using electronic pulleys. They landed on the sand to meet the strangers.

"Thank you for helping us." said Sora, walking up to the two. He threw out his hand in friendship. The pilot in blue came up to him and shook his hand.

"A pleasure." said the pilot. "My name is Kira Yamato. And that is my best friend, Athrun Zala."

"I'm Sora. And those are my pals Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy."-

"We thought you guys weren't gonna make it after that tumble." said Athrun.

Suddenly, a lone jeep began to approach. It stopped only a few yards away from the party. A young blond headed girl jumped out.

"Kira! Athrun!" she cried. "Are you guys OK?"

"We're fine, Cagalli." said Kira. She soon took notice of the strangers.

"Who are they?"-

"Those are the guys who piloted that cruiser. Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy."-

"I've never seen a cruiser like that!" Cagalli ran over to the downed gummi. Feeling the surface of the gummi, she could not identify what material it was made out of. "This is incredible! Where did you pick this thing up!"

"Who are you again?" asked Sora.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you." said Kira. "That's Cagalli Yula Athha. Her father, Uzumi Athha is the leader of Aube."

"You still haven't told us why you've come." said Cagalli.

"We were looking for this guy named Anubis." Mickey stated. "He's a very dangerous man and we've been tracking him down."

"Yeah!" added Goofy. "He's supposed to be the master of...of uh...of...uh..."

"Fire." Donald uttered.

"That's right! Fire!"

"Do you know where we can find him?" asked Sora.

"Anubis?" said Athrun. "I'm sorry, we never heard of Anubis before."

"You mean like the Egyptian god Anubis?" asked Kira.

"Not exactly." Sora replied.

"Maybe we can ask my dad." Cagalli explained. "He might know about the guy you're looking for. He's following us in the other jeeps now."

"Hold it!" shouted a voice. The party looked to see none other than, Uzumi Athha, the leader of Aube standing there. His convoy party had recently arrived and soldiers were now being deployed around the perimeter. "Kira! Athrun! Cagalli! Get away from them! Guards!"

Suddenly, Sora and his friends found themselves surrounded by soldiers. Their weapons pointed directly at them.

"What the heck is going on!" asked Donald.

"So Blue Cosmos has managed to get their spies onto Aube's soil!" Uzumi pointed his finger. "Have those five arrested and taken to HQ immediately."

"Hey!" said Sora. He reached for the sword on his belt.

"No, Sora!" shouted Riku. "Best to keep a low profile until we figure out what's going on." Sora backed down. Their weapons were confiscated and the five were escorted onto a prison truck. Cagalli ran up to her father.

"Father! What is the meaning of this!" she asked.

"Those five are spies!" her father replied. "They were sent here by Blue Cosmos and the Earth forces to cause influential tension within Aube!"

"But how can that be! We saw the Earth forces hit them with a missile. Now don't tell me that their spies! Why would the earth forces fire on their own agents!"-

"Simple. It was the only way that they'd fool us to thinking that they were innocent civilians under the attack of the Earth forces. That way, we'd drop our guard."-

"But you don't have any evidence proving whether, or not they are spies."-

"Believe me, I have my sources, Cagalli."-

"But what if those sources are wrong?"-

"We will let Inspector Takanishi Sibuna settle this matter."-

"Takanishi Sibuna. I don't trust that guy."-

"You may not trust him. But everything he's told me rings true." Mr. Athha took his position on board the jeep. "Take them back to HQ and bring them before Inspector Sibuna! We'll settle this little matter there!"

The convoy mounted aboard their vehicles and returned to the main headquarters of Aube.

While arriving in Aube's center of communication, Sora and his friends were pushed along forcefully to the main headquarters. They entered a white building with massive glass windows. Uzumi Athha swung open the doors leading to a small room where in front of them, a desk sat. Behind the desk, a man with a broad face and dressed in a blue frock, sat down filling out paperwork.

"Inspector Takanishi Sibuna." said Mr. Athha. "We have brought them.

"Excellent work." said the inspector. Inspector Sibuna arose from his chair and walked to the front of his desk. "Your names are Riku, Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are they not?"

"Yes, they are." said Mickey.

"I knew it. For spies and well trained assassins, you certainly are stupid. Either that, or you're remarkably brave."-

"Spies? What do you mean spies?" asked Sora.

"Don't deny it! You're with the Earth forces and Blue Cosmos aren't you!"-

"No! We're not!"-

"Another lie! It's what I expect from scum like you!" Sibuna faced Uzumi Athha. "As I have told you, these are the ones responsible for spreading the rumors regarding Alaska and Panama."-

"Alaska? Panama?" asked Riku. "What are you blathering about?"

"See!" shouted Inspector Sibuna. "Another lie. They are the reason that Alaska met such a terrible fate. Earth and Blue Cosmos knew they couldn't defeat Zaft in a conventional battle. So they made a strategy to help lure all of Zaft's military to one spot so they could all be destroyed in the course of one battle. As a result, they sent these five to PLANT and started spreading rumors regarding both Panama and Alaska. When the head figures of the Zaft Organization got wind of these rumors, they decided to plan a counter attack against Alaska. But in order to fool the Naturals, they started to spread their own rumors saying they'd attack Panama. But that tactic played right into the hands of Blue Cosmos and so they decided to send all their troops to the actual target so as to fool the Zaft Organization as well. Zaft played perfectly into the hands of the Earth Federation and Blue Cosmos's devious little trap. As a result, thousands of people, both civilian and military, were wiped out in an instant. And now, these five have returned to assault Aube!" The inspector encircled the accused group. "Earth and Blue Cosmos knew they couldn't negotiate any terms with Aube, knowing the neutral stance they took. So they decided to take this country by force! But not directly though. Instead, they sent these five assassins to help cause a rift within the nation. Their intention was to deprive Aube of its top commanders and lower resistance so that the Earth forces can drive into this country unopposed."

"That's a lie!" cried Sora.

"Silence, boy!" Mr. Athha demanded. "You and your friends have caused enough trouble already."

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Inspector Sibuna continued. "They had come here to kill all possible threats. The crew of the archangel, the coordinators, all mobile suit pilots, and especially you, Sir. It was a good thing that I found out about this little intrusion before the situation got any worse. Can you imagine the chaos if those five were allowed to roam around in the country? The results would have been worse."

"Thank goodness for your guidance inspector."-

"For the tragedy of the Alaskan incident and their involvement in it, I suggest that these five be executed without hesitation!"-

"Then it shall be done. We shall execute them tomorrow at dusk. Take them away."-

"Wait!" cried Sora. "Don't we have a say in this!"

"There is nothing for you to say!" Uzumi Athha explained. "Your words are worthless! The words of spies and assassins are not ones to be trusted!"

"At least give us a chance!"-

"I'm afraid that's out of the question, boy." chuckled Inspector Sibuna. "If you wished to have your lives spared! Then, you shouldn't have gotten involved with the Alaska incident!"

"Please!" cried Sora. "Please give us a chance! Please!"

The doors closed and the noise of Sora's plea slowly faded into the distance.

"Quite disturbing isn't it." chuckled Sibuna.

"You certainly gave the information in thorough detail, Inspector." added Uzumi. "All the evidence was definitely against them. Luckily, you managed to find out about Blue Cosmos's plan before those five could inflict any real damage."

"Believe me, Sir. The safety of this nation means more to me than anything else."-

"Well, good work." The two men shook hands, not knowing that Kira and Athrun were still outside, listening to the whole thing.

"I can't believe it." said Athrun. "We made contact with those five in a friendly manner, only to find out that they were actually spies and assassins."

"That's what still bothers me." Kira replied. "They didn't seem like spies. I wasn't the least bit suspicious of them."

"That's how spies operate, Kira. They try to get you to trust them so that they'd get you to say anything they want to hear."-

"I know that, Athrun. But it seemed that all the evidence against them proved positive. And I don't know about you, but nothing is that positive."-

"So you're not suspicious of them?"-

"I don't know if I'm suspicious of them, or not. But I can tell you this much. The one I'm mostly suspicious of is Inspector Takanishi Sibuna. Think about it. When we heard him ask them if their names were what he said them to be, they automatically said 'yes.'"-

"So what?"-

"Think about it, Athrun. They didn't hesitate to say who they were. And I don't know about you, but a professional spy, or assassin would hesitate to respond. They would either deny that they were those individuals, or would ask who those names belonged to."-

"You're right."-

"I need to hear the information from their own mouths and see if what the inspector said is really true." Kira hastily walked to the jail blocks. Athrun just behind him.

Meanwhile, Sora, Riku, and the others sat in their cell. Sora and Riku sat side by side. Their heads hung low.

"This is a mistake!" shouted Donald. "We didn't do anything I tell you! I swear!"

"Stuff a sock in it, Donald." said Mickey. "Yelling at them won't catch their attention."

"I have to at least give it a try!"-

"Give it a rest. They accused us of a crime and they intend to execute us for it. We'll either have our heads cut off, or we'll be burned at the steak."-

"Well, if I had a choice," Goofy said, "I'd take burning at the steak."

"Why's that?" asked Sora.

"A hot steak is better than a cold chop."-

"Imbecile." Donald thought to himself.

"I don't understand what it is we did." Mickey stated. "I mean I never heard of the Alaskan incident until our trial."

As the four chattered away, they realized that Riku still sat in that same slumped position. Finally, Sora put his hand on Riku's shoulder.

"What's on your mind?" Sora asked curiously.

"That inspector." Riku replied.

"What about him?" asked Donald.

"He seemed to know our names perfectly well right?"-

"Yeah." said Sora.

"But think about it." Riku continued. "The chances that there are five other guys with the same names as ours is a big, and I mean big, coincidence."

"How big we talking?"-

"I highly doubt such a coincidence could ever occur. The only people who know about us are outside of this realm altogether. And the only ones who would try to get us in trouble are the members of the Dark Empire."-

"So you believe that inspector is an agent of the Dark Empire? How do you know, Riku?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, Sora. But Inspector Sibuna was wearing a necklace with a small, symbolic emblem for the decor. That symbol was the same symbol I saw on the sides of Horus's shoulder armor."-

"So he is a member of the Dark Empire."-

"More so than you think, Sora. Think about his last name. Sibuna. Now take those letters and put them in the opposite order."-

They visualized the last name of Inspector Takanishi Sibuna and spun it around backwards. As soon as they got the name, they were shocked at the result and realized who it was that gave them the trial.

"ANUBIS!" the other four cried.

"Exactly." said Riku. "Sibuna spelled backwards is Anubis."

"The next member of the Cavendish Shinobis." said Mickey.

"We have to stop him somehow!" added Donald.

"We have to think of a plan first." said Riku. "We can't just fight him with all those people against us. If we could somehow expose him, we'd be able to turn all of Aube against him."

"But if he had us in our grasp, why didn't he just kill us there and then?" asked Sora. "It's not if anyone could've stopped him."

"I bet he has bigger plans for us. That's why he wants to keep us alive. But for what, I wonder." It was then that Riku realized what Anubis's plan was. "I see what he's trying to do. Remember how Thundro said that other Imperials were to be here too? Well, Anubis may be planning to initiate an attack on Aube and destroy it completely, with us still in it. That way, he can do away with us without wasting any of his energy."-

"Typical villain. Evil and lazy at the same time."-

Meanwhile, Inspector Sibuna, aka Anubis, secretly went into the control room. It had been vacated by the personnel. There, he took up the communication system and used the secret line to reach a certain source.

"This is Anubis." he uttered, quietly. "This is Anubis. Come in."

Suddenly, an image appeared before him on the monitor. It was none other than Lord Arakis.

"Glad to see that you're still out and about." said Arakis. "Have you encountered your opponents yet?"

"I have, my lord. Sora and Riku have arrived alright, but they were really easy to take care of."-

"You dispensed with them so quickly? Bit of an anti-climax though."-

"They're not dead yet, my lord. I intend to have Aube take care of them. I arrived here before Sora and Riku. So I disguised myself as an Aube inspector and made up a story so that Aube would think Sora and his friends were saboteurs. They're awaiting an execution sentence as we speak."-

"Excellent work, Anubis. Excellent work."-

"And how is it with the testing of the mobile dolls that we confiscated from the Wing Realm?" asked Anubis.

"We will be commencing our activity in an hour, or so." Arakis replied. "We are still programming the Zero system into them. And to avoid detection, we've placed ourselves on the side of Earth, opposite of PLANT."

"But may I ask why you are bothering to use mobile dolls for the empire's arsenal? Wouldn't mobile droids be just as effective?"-

"Not when it comes to assaults on the space fleets of the Universal Alliance. The mobile droids are not large enough to wield the weapons capable of penetrating the distortion fields of the large battle cruisers. But the mobile dolls, like large mobile droids, are large enough to handle those anti-distortion field weapons. And as a result, we shall test these units in the Seed Realm."-

"But will these mobile dolls be a match for Coordinators. I know they're more than a match for the Naturals, but Coordinators have abilities that excel two times that of naturally born humans."-

"The mobile dolls will be more than enough. And with the Zero system in place, even the intellect and advanced physical abilities of the Coordinators will not be enough."-

"But why not test the mobile dolls ahead of time before attacking PLANT? Just in case the mobile dolls need further adjusting."-

"I suppose you're right, Anubis." Arakis pondered. "It's best to test them before we send them to invade all of Earth and space. But where would we test them though?"

"Why not test your new toys on Aube." chuckled Anubis. "Use the mobile dolls to destroy both Aube and the Earth forces fighting against it. There are also the Coordinators, Kira Yamato, Athrun Zala, and Dearka Elsman stationed here at Aube. If you can take them out, along with all the Naturals, this will be a message to both ZAFT and Earth that they do not stand a chance against the power of the Dark Empire."-

"Quite a devious plot, Anubis. That's why I like your style of thinking. However, I intend only to attack the military personnel. Civilians are not to be involved. I don't want people to think I've decided to give in to General Ameba's way of thinking."-

"I understand that, my lord." Anubis smirked. "Still as chivalrous as ever, I see."

"By the way, Anubis. I hope you haven't done anything that would reveal your true intentions."-

"Do not worry, my lord. Everyone in Aube is backing me up. The only ones who know are Sora and his friends, but they've been locked up for good. No one will trust so called saboteurs. But then again, there's Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato. They seem unsettled about the whole thing."-

"You can't have them running about if they know of what you really intend to carry out. Kill them at once!"-

"I understand, my lord. This is Anubis signing out."-

Anubis shut off the monitor and cut off transmission. He sat there, in the dark room, resting his chin on his locked knuckles.

"Soon Earth and Zaft will know the full extent of the Dark Empire." he thought to himself. "They will both be wiped out by the Imperial fleet. And with Riku, Sora, and the rest of those bumbling dolts imprisoned here, I can be rid of Naturals, Coordinators, a silly rodent king, and two annoying key bearers all in one blow. Our plan is full proof and there's no one to stop me now. With all of Aube under my thumb, I can sway them in any direction I choose with no one getting wise."

However, Anubis had spoken too soon. He didn't realize that Cagalli, while passing through, overheard his conversation with Arakis. And now, knowing the truth, Cagalli was filled with a great fear.

"I have to tell the others." she said. "I have to get Sora and his friends out of the prison block." She quietly snuck away, heading for the prison block.

In space, the Imperial fleet of the Dark Empire neared the area where Aube lay. Arakis gazed out to the earth sphere.

"My lord?" asked General Ameba. "What are you thinking?"

"Anubis's plan." Arakis said. "We will be testing the skills of our mobile dolls on the earth. And we'll start by destroying the nation of Aube."

"But wouldn't that give away our cover?"-

"We're not trying to be secretive, General. We are only standing by at a safe distance. Besides, it would be interesting to see the mobile dolls go head to head with the toughest Coordinators in this universe. I shall retire to my quarters. I leave you and General Durovano in charge of operations here."-

"Very well, my lord." chuckled Ameba. "You can trust me to get the job done."

"Oh, and by the way." said Arakis as he left the room. "I only want you to initiate the attacks on military personnel only. Don't involve the civilians."

"You know my tactics, my lord."-

"I know and that's why I'm telling you not to involve civilians. We want to establish commerce with them. We don't want countless revolutions as a result of our cruelty."-

"You didn't seem to care about the fate of civilians back in Traverse Town, when you ordered General Kai to hunt for Sneer and the others."-

"But I only said 'terrorize.' I never said 'kill' in my statement. And General Kai knows how I operate and agrees with my philosophy. We want to subdue these people. Not eradicate them entirely. What would be the point, killing people not destined to fight?"-

"Well, it's not as if killing innocent people has caused a stir amongst our ranks before."-

"Tell that to Lord Thundro." Ameba suddenly went silent as Arakis gave him a glare. "I gave you an order. So you better take heed and obey." With that, Arakis exited the room.

"Damn that Arakis." said Ameba. "He thinks he can just order me around like that."

"You must remember," Durovano stated, approaching his superior, "he is a lord of the Dark Empire. Not only a lord, but one of the Three Excellencies. Even average lords have no greater authority that he."

"Why is it, even after so many years placing absolute loyalty to the Dark Empire, I am still ranking in this lowly position as a mere general. To be outranked and overruled continuously by a Death Lord. And not only a Death Lord, but the leader of that accursed squadron."-

"You must really hate the Death Lords."-

"They're been cankerous from the start with their no good codes of honor. Not to kill civilians. Only to fight those who wish to fight you. That philosophy of honor goes nowhere. If I had my way, I would show no quarter to anyone. Civilians supply manpower, support, and resources. Take them out, and the enemy would give in more quickly. It's the honor code like not killing them that has proven an obstacle to my influence over the whole of the empire."-

"But Lord Arakis is highly influential. Showing that battle is only exciting when your own life is in danger. He likes a good challenge and respects those who fight against him. Many soldiers and commanders within the Imperial forces share that same view. So the Empire itself is divided in two, between your philosophies." General Durovano moved in front of Ameba. "Now, enough of this constant chatter. We have a mission to accomplish."

"Yes." Ameba replied. "I suppose you're right. If I place my personal feelings before our cause, we only end up decreasing our progress." Ameba walked to the bridge and turned about, placing himself before the crew. "Prepare to initiate the deployment of the mobile dolls!"

"Yes, sir!" the bridge operators. Ameba contacted Arakis.

"My lord." he said. "We are ready to dispatch the mobile dolls."

"Very well." replied Arakis. "Dispatch the Virgo mobile dolls. I want to test and see if their speed and agility match the strength of their shields."

"Acknowledged." Ameba ended the transmission and smirked. "Arakis. Your philosophies may be outdated, but your tactics are still surprising as ever." He then turned to General Durovano. "Durovano! Log on to the Zero system. Let's see how well you maneuver your troops!"

"A pleasure, sir." chuckled Durovano. He walked out of the room and into the special Zero room. He placed an earpiece on the side of his head. A small red screen erected itself before his eye. "This Zero system is quite ingenious for humans. That way, even the soulless mobile dolls can fight with the mind of an intellectual being such as myself." Synchronizing the computer system with his DNA, making the screen fully active with the movements of his hands. "And now my mobile dolls. Go forth to Earth and let's see a fantastic display."

The mobile doll cruisers began their descent towards Earth. Arakis, gazed upon the spectacle of the deployed cruisers.

"I only hope that we don't entirely depend upon the use of machines to fight our battles." he thought to himself. "It would take the pleasure of battle completely out of the picture."

The mobile doll cruisers made their way, slowly towards Earth and Aube. There, they would be used to destroy, not only Aube, but the Earth forces as well.

Meanwhile, back in Aube, Sora, Riku, and the others sat quietly in their cell. Goofy had taken out his harmonica and was playing "There's No Place Like Home." The sound of his harmonica echoed through the cell block.

"Boy," said Sora, "that song really makes me depressed."

"Homesick more like." added Riku.

"So this is where it ends?" said Mickey. "We've come so far, only to be executed by people who've accused us of something we didn't do."

"I refuse to go that way."-

"Me too!" added Sora. He stood up and raised his fist into the air. "We can't just kick the bucket like this! We have to prove our point. Even if we have to fight these people to do that!"

"Sora? Sit down before you hurt yourself." Riku pulled Sora back down by the belt. "Listen, if we start a fight with these people, that will only increase their hostilities towards us. If we want to be able to get out of here alive, we're gonna have to let the truth be known to someone else. Someone influential."

"We might be able to help you with that." a voice whispered out. The gang looked to see Kira and Athrun standing outside the cell.

"What're you guys doing here?" asked Sora.

"We thought we might give you a hand." Athrun replied. "We weren't satisfied with the results of your hasty trial. We want to hear more." He opened up the cell, allowing the prisoners to step out of the cell.

"Why is it that you guys really came?" asked Kira.

"We explained it to you before." said Riku. "We're looking for a guy named Anubis."

"Who is he exactly?" asked Athrun.

"He happens to be a member of the Cavendish Shinobis."-

"Cavendish Shinobis?"-

"That's right. He has been sent here to take over this world."-

"Take over?"-

"Correct." said Mickey.

"But why would this guy want to take over?" asked Kira.

"It's for the purpose of expanding the borders of the Dark Empire."-

"The Dark Empire?"-

"An organization set out to conquer all worlds." said Riku. "And you'll be the next in line."

Suddenly, they heard a voice coming down the corridor. They looked to see Cagalli coming towards them.

"Hey!" she cried. She stopped to catch her breath.

"Cagalli?" asked Kira. "What are you doing here?"

"Inspector Sibuna." she began to explain. "I overheard him talking in the control room, on the secret line. He said that there's gonna be an attack on both Aube and PLANT!"

"What!" said Athrun "Who's going to attack!"

"He said something about mobile dolls."-

"Mobile dolls?" asked Kira. "What are those? Some new type of mobile suit?"

"Unmanned mobile suits to be precise." said Riku.

"Unmanned mobile suits?" asked Athrun.

"Special mobile suits that originated from the Wing Realm. Compliments of the Romefeller Foundation no doubt. With mobile dolls, the empire will be able to enter battle without even losing a man."-

"Unmanned mobile suits!" said Cagalli. "How cowardly."

"With unmanned mobile suits," Athrun stated, "they would change the aspect of war completely! Now, war would seem only a game! The tragedy of war would be forgotten!"

"We have to stop them!"-

"And Sibuna is the one responsible for this treachery." said Kira. Cagalli pounded her fist against the wall.

"And we trusted that guy! The bastard! I'll kill him myself!"-

"Now that isn't very nice." a voice uttered from behind. The party looked to see Inspector Sibuna standing there. "Mr. Athha! I found them!"

From the doorway, Uzumi Athha, several advisors, crew members from the Archangel, and a hand full of soldiers appeared. He stood there, appalled at what he saw.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing." he said.

"As I told you, the assassins have gained some sympathizers." said Sibuna.

"Get away from them, you three!"-

"No, Father!" shouted Cagalli.

"That is an order!"-

"No! We won't move until we hear their side of the story!"-

"But the inspector has already told us the whole story!"-

"But you've only heard it from one perspective." said Kira. "Please allow them to talk."

"That is out of the question." said Inspector Sibuna. "You have been brainwashed by these five. They always use that type of tactic, to see if they can gain sympathizers by telling some sob story. The truth is being judged. What is it with the new generation now a days? They believe the truth isn't good enough for them? So they want to hear the story from the liar's perspective?"

"What's that!" said Sora, angrily. "You were the one planning a conspiracy! We knew that you were here before us! So, in our absence, you decided to come to the Aube high officials and offer your services and absolute loyalty because that was the only way you could gain their trust! That way you could turn the people of Aube against us when we arrived!"

"With a little research, you took down the facts of the conflict and the dates when they occurred." Riku continued. "That way, if anyone questioned your loyalty, your intention, anything that might reveal your true plan, you would have a way to counter it. By manipulating these people to believe you to the letter, you could easily turn them against innocent people." Riku stood before the group. "Isn't that right, Anubis!"

"Anubis?" said Uzumi Athha.

"That is Sibuna's true name! When spelled backwards, his last name makes up his real one!"-

"That is only a coincidence." said Sibuna. "Just because my name is spelled the way it is doesn't mean I am this person you speak of!"

"Your plan was flawless Anubis." Riku said. "However, I can prove that you are an imposter. You are not Inspector Sibuna, who is an undercover agent from Aube. You are in reality, Anubis of the Cavendish Shinobis!"

"Alright! If you are so smart, then where is your evidence." There was a dead silence soon after. The inspector began to chuckle. "Oh, that's right! You have no evidence against me!" He turned to Mr. Athha. "What did I tell you! They are liars! They have made up such a fantastic tale! And yet, they have no evidence against me! You haven't planned your scheme very well have you! Otherwise, you would at least have one fact of evidence against me."

"It's true, you managed to play your cards right, not revealing what your true motive was." said Riku. "And there is no evidence for us to use against you. Except one."

"And what may that be?"-

"Tell us." said Uzumi.

"It's quite simple." Riku continued. "Remember our trial?"-

"Of course!" replied Sibuna.

"Now of course, everyone present at the trial remembers when he asked for our names. But the fact is, we never told our names. Sibuna did that for us. However, how could he have known about our names?"-

"That is simple! I had done some research on you five. You are Riku, Sora, Goofy, Mickey, and Donald. I picked your names up from a reliable source."-

"But if you were smart, you would have asked who we were instead of having us answer a 'yes and no' question. Instead of asking us who we were, you instead asked if we were these particular individuals. Because we had no idea of what was going on, we thought that it would be best to answer your question. However, when you poured on the evidence against us, you had us right where you wanted us. With the outstanding evidence in your favor, you could easily turn Aube in your favor." Riku began to walk up slowly to Sibuna. "However, you made one fatal mistake that has remained unnoticed until now. When you asked for our names, we immediately responded positively."-

"And what point are you trying to make here?"-

"If we were real assassins and spies, wouldn't it have been a basic reaction to question the names you were talking about, or to deny that those names belonged to us? If I were a spy, that would be my number one priority. To keep my identity a secret."-

"That's right." added Kira. "I heard you ask that question."

"Same here." said Athrun. "That's why I wondered why they would be so truthful about their names."

"I would have to agree." said Uzumi Athha. "I recall you asking that question. Is there something that we should know?"

"You said they were highly trained spies and assassins!" said Cagalli. "If they were, I'd doubt they give their identities away that easily. They would know better than to reveal who they were."

"The evidence is starting to turn against you." said Riku. "What do you plan on doing?"

"You wanted us arrested and executed so that it would save you a lot of time and energy." added Sora. "You wanted us executed hoping to rid yourself of the only possible threat capable of revealing your true colors."

"Your conspiracy ends here, Anubis!"-

Suddenly, Inspector Sibuna began to run out of the corridor, but the guards took hold of him and brought him before the now angered Uzumi Athha.

"You lied to us!" Uzumi shouted. "You told us that they were spies! You let us condemn innocent young boys and almost led them to their deaths! How could you do such a thing! Why!"

It was then that the skin on Sibuna began to boil red hot. The guards released him when their hands were burned. The skin on Sibuna began to melt off.

"A fake skin." said Mickey. As the face of the real demon protruded through the latex skin, the ninja jumped out of the corridor, away from the mob. He stood up and chuckled.

"You are very perceptive!" he chuckled. "But this is far from over for you five! Our battle has only begun! As for Aube, Earth, and PLANT, they are far from being helped! In only a few minutes, the mobile dolls will be here to wipe you all out! And there's nothing you can do to stop them! But then again, I won't allow you to escape! You have seen my true face! And so you must die!" Anubis threw his arm out and formed a ball of fire above his head. The heat was so great, it melted and burned the building's interior. "Now die all of you!"

"Not so fast!" shouted Donald. Stretching his hand out, he fired a shot of Blizzaga. The ice came at the shinobi. The minute the ice shards touched, Anubis began to scream out and grasped his body in pain. The fire ball diminished, leaving him curled up. He sneered at his enemies.

"You might have won this one, but it's not over yet!" he roared. "You have not seen the last of me! And you!" He pointed at Riku, who worked his way to the front. "You I will kill myself! And you will curse your own folly for daring to stand against me! Captain Anubis! Fifth member of the Cavendish Shinobis!" Suddenly a great flame bellowed forth and the ninja disappeared from sight.

"Next time, Anubis," Riku stated, "You will be the one I kill."

As he turned, he gazed upon the faces of his former enemies. Uzumi Athha walked forward.

"I am terribly sorry for making such an incorrect assumption against you and your comrades." he said. "Can you please forgive us?"

"This should teach you a lesson!" said Donald, angrily. But Riku smacked him in the back of the head.

"Mind your manners, numbskull!" Riku uttered. He turned to Uzumi. "There is nothing to worry about. You managed to realize the truth in time and no one got hurt."

"The question is what are we gonna do now?" asked Sora. "Anubis has escaped to later retaliate against us when we least expect it. Now, there are mobile dolls on their way."

"There's only one thing we can do." said Riku. "We're gonna help these people! We're gonna save this world from destruction! The lessons we've learned from the past is to always help those in need! And we will confront the Dark Empire head on!"

"That's the spirit, Riku! We'll stand and fight! We'll defeat these invaders!"-

"That is our alternative obligation to rescuing Kairi!"-

"Wow, Riku. I never thought you would have considered helping the other worlds. Before, it was only to defeat the Cavendish Shinobis and save Kairi."-

"I guess when you compare the personal goals, we started with, to the bigger picture, you realize that our own achievements are insignificant, or in vain if all worlds fall to such a tyrannical power. I guess Kai was right. Perspectives and causes change over time."-

"I'm glad that you've decided to help save this world."-

Suddenly, a powerful siren sounded out. The facility flashed with bright red emergency lights.

"All personnel to level one battle stations!" A voice shouted over the intercom. "I repeat! All personnel to level one battle stations! Enemy attack!"

"Report to your battle stations!" shouted Uzumi. "Fight off the enemy!"

The personnel rallied to the front. Kira and Athrun rushed to their mobile suits while Sora, Riku, and the other members of the KH group hurried with Mr. Uzumi Athha and Cagalli to the control room. They entered to see the battle on screen.

"What's the status?" asked Uzumi.

"We're being under attack, sir." said one of the attendants.

"Is it the Earth Forces?"-

"No, sir! They're different mobile suits! They've never been placed into our data! What's worse, they are attacking the Earth Forces as well as us!"-

On screen, they saw black colored mobile suits armed with large beam cannons. As well, they deployed disks before them which acted as electromagnetic shields. They flew and hovered amongst the fleet of the Earth forces and destroyed many of the planes and cruisers who dared to strike them down. At the same time, they breeched the defenses of Aube's first line.

"What kind of mobile suits are those?" asked Cagalli.

"Oh no!" said Sora, shocked. "They're Virgo mobile dolls."

"Virgo mobile dolls?" asked Mr. Athha. "What are they?"

"Those are unmanned mobile suits that are armed with a powerful electromagnetic shield and a beam cannon."-

"But who would create such monsters? They're even more powerful that the mobile suits we designed."-

"They were created by the Romefeller Foundation from the Wing Realm." said Riku.

"Romefeller Foundation?" asked Cagalli. "Who are they?"

"They are an organization in the Wing Realm who attempted to settle all unnecessary disputes within the earth sphere. As a result, to limit the consumption of man power, they created artificial soldiers called mobile dolls. These mobile dolls are computer controlled and are absent of a pilot."-

It was then that several screens appeared. They were the elite pilots of the Aube forces.

"This is Mwu La Fllaga! Mobile suit Strike! Taking off!"-

"This is Dearka Elthsman! Mobile suit Buster! Taking off!"-

"This is Athrun Zala! Mobile suit Justice! Launching!"-

"This is Kira Yamato! Mobile suit Freedom! Taking off!"-

Soon, another image popped up on the screen. It was the command bridge of the legged ship, Archangel. There, before the crew, Captain Murrue Ramius sat at the head.

"This is the Archangel!" she said. "We'll be backing you up!"

"Confirmed!" said Athrun Zala. "Our targets are those Virgo mobile dolls!"

"We'll show the Dark Empire and Romefeller what Coordinators are made of!" cried Kira.

"Athrun! Kira! You and the others be careful!" shouted Cagalli.

"Don't worry!" said Athrun. "We'll be alright! We are after all, Coordinators!" Soon after, the transmission ended, leaving those in the control room to watch the battle.

"Coordinators?" asked Sora. "What's a Coordinator?"

"Coordinators are humans who have been genetically altered." Cagalli explained. "They are stronger, faster, and more intellectual than humans who were born naturally. In fact, that's how this war started. With Naturals and Coordinators fighting each other. But now that the Dark Empire has arrived, perhaps both sides have found a common enemy to fight."

"Let's just hope that they are a match for the mobile dolls." said Riku. "The ability of the dolls are equal to Coordinators."

At the same time, the Earth fleet was suffering heavy damage as the mobile dolls continued to fight. Commander Azreal, the leader of Blue Cosmos was appalled at the results of the battle.

"Damn those mobile suits!" he shouted. "They're taking out our forces like they were nothing."

"Is it possible they are from Zaft?" asked the admiral.

"Possibly. Only Coordinators can fight so precisely. Where are the mobile suits Raider, Forbidden, and Calamity."-

"They are preparing to launch as we speak, sir."-

"Get them on line!"-

The admiral hooked up to the line of the three mobile suits.

"Commander Azreal wishes to speak to the three pilots of the Forbidden, Calamity, and Raider! Please respond!"-

"What is it!" said Kuroto, pilot of the Raider.

"I want you and the others to protect this ship!" Azreal commanded. "The enemy is swarming in incredible numbers and our own forces can't possibly stop them all!"

"We gotcha." replied Shani of the mobile suit Forbidden. "We'll take out these guys. Every last one of them."

"We'll kill them all." added Ollga of the mobile suit Calamity.

"I don't care what you do!" said Azreal. "Defeat them! No matter what the cost!"

"Those things are going down." chuckled Shani. "We'll show them that they're no match for us."

The three gundams of the Earth Forces were deployed to fight the Virgo mobile dolls. Ollga checked the screen.

"There are only thirty of those things." he said. "That's ten suits each."

"Now for a little dance." added Shani.

"This'll be the easiest thing we've ever done!"-

Back aboard the destroyer of the Imperial Fleet, General Ameba watched as the new gundams appeared on the scene. These seven gundams were piloted by the most skilled amongst all other mobile suit pilots. However, despite their superior abilities, they were not able to match the power of the Zero system and the mobile dolls.

"Quite impressive." said Ameba. "Those fools can't even take out one mobile doll unit. First of all, even though they are well skilled, they can't effectively deploy themselves against the mobile dolls without some form of strategy. Meanwhile, General Durovano has deployed the thirty dolls into groups of three. That way, they can isolate the gundams one by one and tire them out quickly." Suddenly, a message screen emerged before him. It was Lord Arakis.

"How are things progressing?" he asked.

"Well enough, my lord. We have only deployed thirty Virgo units, but thanks to the Zero system, they've been more than a match for Kira Yamato and those other defenders of Aube."-

"We shall make our intentions known. Contact Aube and the Earth Forces and inform them to surrender immediately and unconditionally. If they do not agree to this demand, then we will eradicate them from existence. Once we are finished here we will continue our assault against ZAFT and PLANT! These people will fear the forces of the Dark Empire!"-

"As you wish, my lord." The transmission ended and Ameba turned once again to the bridge. "Get Aube and Blue Cosmos on line!"

"Yes, Sir!" the attendants cried, relaying the message to Earth.

At the same time, the battle was slowly turning against Kira and the others. The mobile dolls were so precise and well coordinated. The power of the mobile doll beam cannons were equal to that of the Strike. The shield they confronted was something that neither ZAFT, nor Aube had ever seen before. Instead of a standard shield that protected specific perimeter around the mobile suit, the mobile dolls had deployment disks which accumulated an electromagnetic pulse which deflected any incoming projectile and held off any physical attack trying to strike it. When combined into parties of three, the mobile doll shields were almost impossible to penetrate. To top off the situation, the mobile dolls also had the ability to use their deployment disks as projectiles. The Gundams, even though piloted by highly skilled Coordinators, could not get within an effective striking range.

"Man! These mobile dolls are tougher than we thought." said Dearka.

"Tougher?" said Mwu. "We haven't even taken down one!"

"Their tactics are flawless." added Athrun. "So this is how effective artificial intelligence is when placed into the combat system of a mobile suit."

"We somehow need a strategy." Kira suggested. "We have to somehow exploit the flaws in the mobile dolls' strategy." He then gazed to see their adversaries, the Calamity, the Forbidden, and the Raider, fight off the mobile dolls, but to no prevail. "Even the Earth Forces are having trouble."

At the Aube headquarters, Sora and the others watched as the battle turned against them slightly.

"There's no way they can beat the mobile dolls as they are now." said Sora. "And who knows how many more units await them. Right now, it's only thirty and they haven't managed to take down one."

"Don't say that!" shouted Cagalli. "They can win! I know Kira and Athrun! They won't give up! They'll fight to the end if necessary!"

"But they won't succeed without a strategy." said Riku. "Even if they did, you have to place the time, weapons, and fuel consumption into the equation. If they fight for an extended period of time, then they will eventually wear down and become vulnerable. If that happens, then there will be nothing left to stand against the Empire and the mobile dolls."

"What do you propose we do?"-

"We have to somehow exploit the weaknesses of the mobile dolls and use it to our advantage."-

"But what weaknesses do they have?"-

"I seem to recall what Heero Yuy said." Mickey explained. "He said that the shields of the Virgo mobile dolls are only effective when used against a single target. The dolls concentrate the bulk of their shield energy against the intended target. However, when they focus on a single target, if a second enemy enters the fray, the mobile doll will be vulnerable to an attack. The reason why is because the shields are designed only to protect the front and flanks of the mobile dolls. Their rear, however, is vulnerable to attack. That is why the mobile dolls have converged into groups of three. So that they can avoid that weakness, covering each other's backs."

"What do you have in mind, Mickey?" asked Sora.

"We must somehow break up their tight formation. Break their synchronization some how."-

"The best strategy is for one of the gundam pilots to be a target and attract the attention of the mobile dolls. Once their guard has been lowered, the others can strike."-

"That's an excellent plan!" said Cagalli. "We must contact the other's immediately!"

Amidst the battle, the gundams were fighting to the best of their abilities. However, the mobile dolls were well synchronized and their defense could not be broken.

"There must be some way for us to break their battle formations!" said Dearka. "We haven't even taken down one of those stupid mobile dolls!"

"Our forces won't be able to hold for much longer!" added Mwu. "Damn these mobile dolls!"

"We have to spot a weakness!" said Kira. "If only we knew more about them."

It was then that a message entered the cockpits of the for Aube defenders. It was Cagalli.

"Listen you guys!" she said. "There is a way to break their defense! One of you will have to somehow draw their attention towards you! Mwu La Fllaga! Rush into the bulk of the mobile doll line! The rest of you will concentrate your fire where Mwu was!"

"Right!" shouted Mwu La Fllaga. The Strike rush towards the mobile dolls, but instead of entering combat, the gundam flashed by. The mobile dolls turned their attention towards him. But as they did, Kira and the others fired upon the mobile dolls. With their shields down and their backs exposed, the Virgos fell easy prey to the attack. There was a series of explosions and several of the mobile doll units were destroyed.

"We did it!" cried Dearka.

"Let's keep it up then!" added Athrun.

"Archangel!" Kira requested. "Give us cover fire!"

"We understand!" replied Murrue Ramius. She turned to the bridge. "All personnel, concentrate on mobile dolls and provide back up for Lieutenant Yamato and the others!"

"Activating main cannons!" said one of the crew members.

"Prepared to fire!" said another.

"On my signal!"-

The gundams rallied to the battlefield, acting as decoys to the mobile dolls. The minute the mobile dolls turned their backs, the main cannons on the Archangel commenced firing. Several more Virgos were destroyed.

At the headquarters of Aube, everyone watched and cheered as the tide of battle turned in their favor.

"They're doing it!" said Cagalli. "They found a way to successfully break up their defenses!"

"Great work, you guys!" added Sora. "Fight on!"

"We finally exploited the one great weakness of the mobile dolls." said Riku. "It's game over for the empire."

However, aboard the destroyer, General Ameba was not as enthralled by the results. He watched as more of the Virgo units were demolished.

"What is happening!" he said. "Why, all of a sudden, are the mobile dolls proving ineffective against those gundams!" He contacted General Durovano in the Zero room. "General Durovano! What is going on in there! Why aren't the mobile dolls proving effective anymore!"

"The gundams have somehow come up with a strategy." said Durovano. "They have been able to exploit the one weakness of the Virgo mobile dolls. They are meant mostly for offensive and defensive tactics. Not blitzkrieg tactics. They lack the speed to react in time for the deployment of their shields!"

"Send in more Virgos then! We can always beat them with our overwhelming numbers!"-

"Withdraw that order at once." a voice uttered from behind. Lord Arakis had stepped onto the bridge and gazed at the screen. "Despite overwhelming force, the gundams had managed to seek out the weakness of the Virgos and will most likely use that weakness to their advantage."

"Then, what do you suggest we do, my lord?"-

"First, see if you can reprogram the dolls to maintain vigilance with multiple targets. In the meantime, dispatch four carriers of Tauruses and one carrier of Virgos. The Virgos will act as long range fire support. While the Taurus mobile dolls grapple with the gundams."-

"Understood."-

"By the way." Arakis said, while exiting the bridge. "Have you relayed the message to Earth and Aube yet?"

"Not yet, my lord."-

"Relay it as soon as the Tauruses and Virgos arrive for battle on Earth. Sooner, or later, they will realize how futile it is to fight against us. Also, relay a message to Anubis. I don't want him to interfere with the operation. His only goal right now is to eliminate Riku and Sora. They are the primary targets."-

"Understood, my lord."-

Arakis left the bridge again, leaving Ameba with the responsibility of relaying the message and deploying the dolls.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the situation grew terrible for the mobile dolls. Already, fifteen units had been destroyed and fifteen more would suffer the same fate. The gundams now knew how to handle the situation. However, some of the tight Virgo groups proved to be more bothersome than they were worth. As they maintained their tight circles, the inflicted more damage upon Aube and the Earth forces.

"Even after exploiting their weaknesses, these stupid mobile dolls still won't go down." said Dearka. "When will they ever give it a rest?"

"As long as they are operable," Kira explained, "they won't stop. The only thing we can do is fight them off and destroy them one by one."

"Besides, we shouldn't hold back." Athrun added. "They're just machines. Nothing more!"

However, as the last of the Virgos made their final stand, and victory was in sight for Earth and Aube, another frightening sight emerged over the skies.

"Oh no!" cried Mwu. "Look up there, you guys!"

The gundam pilots looked to see fifty, or so mobile dolls descending towards them. These mobile dolls, however, were not Virgos.

"What kind of mobile dolls are those?" asked Kira.

"Whoever they are," said Dearka, "They won't be able to attack effectively from that distance. But I can!" Using his buster cannon, he aimed it at the incoming mobile dolls. With one massive shot, he fired into the thick of the oncoming units. However, the dolls quickly reacted and evaded the beam with very little trouble. "What the..."

"I've never seen mobile suits react that quickly." said Athrun. "They're completely different from the Virgos!" But as soon as he had finished that statement, the Taurus mobile dolls flew over their heads and quickly transformed into their humanoid form. "Amazing! They can transform from a mobile armor into a mobile suit like the Aegis mobile suit I piloted before! But the reaction time is far greater."

"But they lack in offensive and defensive capabilities." Kira pointed out. "All we have to do is out maneuver them and take them by surprise!"

However, the mobile dolls had proven to be more trouble than expected. The reason lay behind their design. Not only did they have a faster reaction time, but they were also hooked up to the Zero system. Thus they were subject to General Durovano's every command.

"We have to some how strike at them up close." said Athrun. "Long range weapons won't work on these guys!"

"But even at close range, they're hard to attack." Kira replied. "It seems whatever we do, they somehow predict our every move. At the same time, I see that their tactics change every so often. So, I believe that there is probably someone manipulating them."

Back at the Aube base, the attitude had changed. Once again the tide of battle turned. And this time, it was against them.

"Where did those things come from!" said Cagalli. "Are those mobile dolls?"

"Those are mobile dolls alright." replied Sora. "Taurus mobile dolls. Their level of maneuverability far surpasses those of the Virgos. Therefore, they cannot be shot down with long range weapons. The only possible method is to engage them in close range combat."

"But at this rate," Uzumi Athha interrupted, "the our mobile suits will run out of power and will need time to rejuvenate. They can only remain in combat for an extended period of time."

It was then that a message appeared upon the screen.

"An incoming message." said one of the attendants.

"Where from?"-

"The Dark Empire, sir."-

"On screen."-

As the screen bleeped on before all the personnel in the control room, the image of General Ameba made itself present.

"He's the guy we saw at Traverse Town!" said Sora.

"General Ameba." added Riku.

"This is General Ameba of the Dark Empire!" the Imperial began. "We demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the Earth forces and Aube! Resistance is futile against us! As we have proven, the mobile dolls are more than a match for you! If Coordinators are having difficulty defeating them, what makes you think that Naturals like you will do any better! If you meet with our demands, we will guarantee the safety of your remaining forces! If you surrender now!"

"Damn those bastards!" shouted Cagalli.

"We have no choice, but to surrender!" said Uzumi.

"But father...!"-

"We've already lost over 75 of our forces and the mobile dolls have broken through the first line of defense. If we continue fighting, then we'll be wiped out entirely. And you know as well as I that Kira, Athrun, and the others won't last much longer at this rate."

It was then that another transmission was intercepted. It was the Earth Fleet under Blue Cosmos.

"This is the Earth forces calling General Ameba of the Dark Empire." said a voice.

"Azreal." said Uzumi.

"Who is he?" asked Donald.

"None other than the leader of Blue Cosmos." They listened further to the relayed message.

"We, the military forces of Earth, have suffered more than 80 damage to our fleet." Azreal continued. "Therefore, we would like to declare our immediate and unconditional surrender. We submit ourselves entirely to you. I order all forces to stand down." Aube could only watch as the earth forces began to withdraw back to what remained of their fleet. All except the three gundams: Calamity, Raider, and Forbidden.

"Excellent decision." Ameba responded. "However, I only made such a declaration so that you'd drop your guard!" The mobile dolls continued their attack and Aube could watched in horror as the last of the Earth Fleet's warships were scuttled and sent sinking between the waves. The death cries of men echoed on the intercom. Cagalli's eyes filled with tears.

"How could they?" she said. "How could they kill all those men? Even after their surrender?"

"It just goes to show you that the Empire has no intention of taking prisoners." said Riku.

"Then, we must fight, or face total annihilation!" said Uzumi. "But even so, we may have to face total annihilation. Sooner, or later, the gundams will eventually fold. The Archangel will be unprotected and will fall easy prey to those mobile dolls."

"Those mobile dolls don't seem to be letting up the fight!" said Cagalli. "We've already lost over 80 of our forces now!"

"We have to attack the mobile dolls at the source." Riku suggested.

"What do you have planned, Riku?" asked Sora.

"If we can some how attack the source of the mobile doll's power! Once we take that out, then they'll cease to function! Thanks to all the information that Trieze and Heero gave us back in the Wing Realm, we're able to exploit the weaknesses of the mobile dolls! And the main weakness is the system that connects all the mobile dolls!"-

"But in order to do that, we'd have to attack the Imperial Fleet itself."-

"And that's exactly what we're gonna do!"-

"But how will we get there? The gummi ship was totaled!"-

"Mr. Athha! Contact Archangel! Tell them to pick us and our damaged gummi up at the beach!"-

"What's the plan?" asked Uzumi.

"The Archangel has mechanics right?" asked Riku.

"Yes."-

"Well, what I plan to do is this. We have the Archangel pick us up, they exit out of Earth's orbit to confront the Imperial fleet. We then take our gummi ship and fly it into the chief destroyer. Without a doubt, that is where we will find General Ameba and the main control center for the mobile dolls. We take out the main control and the mobile dolls will cease to function."

"That's an awfully large risk we're taking."-

"What other choice have we! If we don't take that risk, the gundams will eventually lose all power, Aube will fall, and the Empire will move on to the next target!"-

"Very well, then."-

On beard the chief destroyer of the Imperial Fleet, General Ameba watched as Aube slowly lost ground. The mobile dolls had proven more effective than he had thought. He gazed on as Lord Arakis stepped onto the bridge.

"That operation went better than I imagined!" Ameba said. "I especially enjoyed the death screams of those humans when the mobile dolls finished their fleet off!"

"I'm sure you did." said Arakis. "It's just like you to commence with such a strategy."

Ameba grinned. It was then the transmission screen appeared. It was General Durovano from the Zero room.

"Quite a bit of fighting, eh sir!" he said. "The Zero system allowed me to manipulate the movement of the mobile dolls as easy as manipulating the movement of my fingers! Those Natural bastards never stood a chance!"

"Excellent!" chuckled Ameba. "You certainly turned the tide of battle in out favor again!"

"Well, now that Aube has been severely weakened, and since they have not declared their surrender, shall I finish them off for good!"-

"There will be no need of that. Call back the mobile dolls." Durovano was confused now.

"But, sir! I can easily wipe them out as they are!"

"We've already proven that they pose no threat to us, General Durovano. I'm more worried about the Coordinator fighters of ZAFT. We take them out first."-

"I understand, sir." With that, transmission ended the conversation between the two. Ameba then gazed at Arakis.

"I hope that doesn't conflict with you, my lord." said Ameba.

"Do what you want." Arakis replied. "This is your operation isn't it. I'm only here to act as a spectator."

"You mean I can do anything I want?"-

"Anything."-

"Even when it comes to killing...civilians." Arakis walked off the bridge once again.

"It's not my conscience that will come back to haunt me."-

"So, I have your permission?"-

"Do you need it?"-

"No, my lord."

"Then off with your work then. Don't need me to order you around. I just hope you didn't make a mistake." The doors closed behind Arakis, leaving Ameba alone on the bridge again.

"Excellent." said Ameba. "Arakis may be an arrogant, despicable old bastard. But he certainly knows how to give leverage when the time comes!"

Back on Earth, they saw as the mobile dolls ceased their fighting and returned to their carriers, ascending back into space.

"They're retreating." said Cagalli. "But why?"

"Whatever the reason," Riku stated. "They've just given the one chance we need."

"Contact Archangel!" said Sora. "We're running to the beach now! Tell them to meet us where our downed gummi ship is! Let's get out there and show the Empire what Naturals are really made of!"

"YEAH!" cried the rest of the KH team and they ran out of the control room, heading for the beach.

"Well, you heard him!" shouted Uzumi. "Contact Archangel and tell them to pick Riku and the others up! Tell them to repair that craft, they came in, too! In fact, tell them to repair our remaining mobile suits as well!"

"You have a plan of your own, Father?" asked Cagalli.

"That's right, Cagalli. If we fight, we'll fight on the Imperial fleet's home turf. Then, we'll see how they like it when they're under threat of attack!"-

"Right! I'll spread the word!" Cagalli rushed out of the control room. Uzumi gazed at the aftermath of the battle, displayed in the screen.

"My people of Aube! No, my people of Earth and space! We have met a common enemy and perhaps, this will bring us together at last! For all my friends and people who have fought and died for the protection of your nation, I will see to it that your deaths will not be in vain! We will meet this cunning scourge and drive them back into the depths of Hell from whence they came!"-

The battle would continue. But this time, it was humanity's turn to strike. And the retribution they held against the Imperial fleet would be inflicted upon the foe a hundred fold.


	12. Honor and Cruelty

Honor and Cruelty

The Archangel made its way towards the beach where Sora and Riku awaited them. Captain Ramius at the helm, steadily coordinated the ship to the destination. At the same time, the remaining mobile suits, including the battle weary gundams and their pilots, were brought aboard. Kira and Athrun worked their way down from the mobile suits.

"Man." said Kira. "I've never engaged in such a fight."

"You're telling me." added Athrun. "Those mobile dolls were something else. Even we, being Coordinators, couldn't fight them off."

"Look on the bright side!" shouted Mwu La Fllaga, descending from the Strike gundam. "At least we're still alive."

"I know!" added Dearka. "But how in the world did those stupid things manage to elude and retaliate so precisely?"

"Just goes to show you how accurate artificial intelligence is."-

"Even so." said Kira. "We should have been able to catch on to their tactics. But it seems no matter how much we were able to find a weakness, they somehow changed their tactics to adapt to our strategy. Now I don't know about you, but artificial intelligence is strictly program set. They can't just adapt without an upgrade. The fight against the Virgos was a good example of that. Those mobile dolls fell easily after we exploited their one weakness. However, in the later battles, they went on the defensive again. Some were even using the ships of the Earth fleet as cover. Now, what mobile dolls use that tactic?"

"So you're saying that there may have been someone behind the mobile dolls, controlling them?" asked Dearka.

"I'm positive."-

"That's what Cagalli relayed to us." said Athrun. "She got it from Riku and Sora. The only way to destroy those mobile dolls is to attack them at the source. So that means, we'll have to attack the fleet of the Dark Empire itself."

"It's seems the only way."-

"Then, if that's what it takes," said Mwu, "we'll do it. We'll take on the Empire and stop these verminous little machines. After that last little scuffle, we can't afford to take them head on again."

"By the way." Dearka uttered. "Where the heck are we going?"

"From what I understand," Athrun stated. "We're going to the beach to pick up Sora and Riku. I also understand that they want us to bring up that downed cruiser they were flying in."

"Alright!" shouted an attendant. "We almost have it! Steady! Steady!"

"That must be it." said Mwu. The four rushed to see the damaged gummi. "How are things here, Mr. Murdoch?" Mr. Murdoch, the head mechanic on board the Archangel, wrote a few notes on his pad.

"We successfully hauled that weird looking ship on board." he said. "Look at it. I've never seen a ship like it. It's like a mobile armor, but it's constructed of a different material. A material I've never even seen before." Kira ran to the open hatch, seeing Riku, Sora, and the others running down the sandy beach.

"Hey!" shouted Kira. "Here they come!"

"There's the Archangel!" said Sora. "And it looks like they hauled the gummi ship a lot earlier than we thought!"

However, from out of nowhere, a large ball of fire reigned down from sky and plummeted in the area between the KH group and the Archangel. There was a massive explosion which nearly blew Riku and Sora away. An immense heat wave crashed into them.

"What the heck was that?" said Sora.

"It can only be one man." Riku replied.

"Wow!" said Donald. "Talk about hot!"

"Talk about making an entrance." added Goofy.

"Brace yourselves, guys." Mickey instructed. Their weapons were drawn and the five stood ready to face the oncoming threat. As the smoke cleared, before the group, a crater of glass lay before them. The glass was glittering brightly in the afternoon sun. And behold, above the immense crater, a figure hovered over it. A bright cloak of red and a sun mask covered him.

"Anubis." Riku uttered

"I can't allow you to go any further." said Anubis. "I've been ordered to keep you here on Earth and finish you."

"Nice outfit." said Sora. "It suits you."

"I didn't know the circus was in town." said Goofy. "Did you go to a party and not invite us?"

"Shut up, you idiot!" shouted Anubis. "I didn't come here to amuse you!"

"Well, you're doing a good job right now." chuckled Donald.

"Then laugh this off!"-

Anubis fired a powerful ball of fire towards the group. But as the ball drew closer, Riku jumped up into the air and with his sword, deflected the ball. The ball flew into the atmosphere and exploded just beyond the horizon.

"Did you see that?" asked Kira.

"I saw it," Athrun replied, "but I don't believe it."

"That guy just threw a ball of fire from his hand." said Mwu. "But how?"

"Listen!" shouted Riku. "We don't have time to play with you, Anubis! We have mobile dolls to stop!"

"I don't think so." chuckled Anubis. "You think I'll just let you walk away from this battle! I doubt that!"

"That's fine, but let's not make it too long! We have people to save!"-

"You won't be saving anyone, key bearer! I was ordered to keep you and your friends on Earth and that's what I intend to do!"-

"If there's anyone you should fight, it's me! Remember, we have a little score to settle! So what do you say, Anubis! A one on one fight with me to the death!"-

"Riku!" said Sora, worried. "You can't."

"Don't do it, Riku!" added Mickey.

"He's terribly strong." said Donald. Riku shifted his hand towards his friends.

"We're the only ones capable of stopping the Empire." Riku uttered. "Even if we defeated Anubis, what chance do you think we'd have getting out of here alive once the Empire takes over this world completely?"

"But Riku." uttered Sora.

"Don't worry about it, Sora. I can handle this guy myself. Just fulfilling an old promise." Riku turned again to Anubis. "I still haven't received your answer, ninja! What do you say! Will you engage me in a little skirmish!"

"Why not!" chuckled Anubis. "I'll take you on, one on one!"

"Then it's settled!" Riku turned to his friends. "Alright, you guys! Get going!"

"But first." uttered Goofy, taking out his Senzu bag. He handed Riku a Senzu bean. "Take this just in case."

"Thanks, Goofy." Riku placed it in his pocket.

"You be careful, Riku." said Sora, placing his hand on Riku's back.

"You too, Sora." Riku gave Sora a pat on the shoulder.

"Come out, Zeke!" shouted Sora, thrusting his blade into the air. There was a bright flash of light and once again, the silver organoid made its appearance. "To the Archangel, Zeke!"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped onto the back of the silver dragon and Zeke flew up to the deck of the Archangel. As soon as they reached the open hatch, they looked down to see Riku and Anubis ready to face off in single combat.

"Be careful, Riku." Sora uttered. "Don't die on us."

The Archangel continued on its way with Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey still gazing out of the open hatch. They watched as the stand off between Riku and Anubis faded into the distance.

"I really hope that Riku knows what he's doing." said Mickey.

"I know he'll win." Sora replied. "I know Riku. He won't die. He'll emerge victorious in the end." He then turned to the silver dragon and padded him on the snout. Zeke growled softly. "Thanks, Zeke, for getting us aboard the Archangel. Van would be proud of you."

"Excuse me." said Kira. "What is that thing?"

"This is Zeke. He's an organoid. Van Flyheight's buddy, back in the Zi realm."-

"You keep talking about realms." said Athrun. "What do you mean by realms."

"What we mean is by other worlds." Mickey explained.

"You mean, you guys are from another world?" asked Mwu.

"That's right." Goofy replied. "But I thought they were supposed to be a secret."

"It's no use trying to avoid meddling, Goofy." said Mickey. "The Empire doesn't intend to remain secret about it. So, we have no choice, but to take our secret out into the open."

"That'll explain the reason why we've never encountered such things like mobile dolls." Kira stated. "Despite their simplistic designs, the mobile dolls have proven to be a challenge."

"A threat is more like." added Athrun.

Just then, they heard further commotion. They immediately the labor teams assembling to the hanger. Kira spotted Mr. Murdoch on the catwalk.

"What's going on, Mr. Murdoch!" asked Kira.

"We've just received a distress call from three downed mobile suits!" Murdoch replied. "They're coming aboard now!"

It was then that three mobile suits crashed into the safety net of the entrance hanger.

"But those are..."-

Before the group, the damaged bodies of the Calamity, the Forbidden, and the Raider lay on the hanger floor of the Archangel. Immediately, the personnel began to assemble at the damaged gundams, overseeing their damage. The three pilots climbed out of their cockpits, stricken in uncontrollable pain. Kuroto, pilot of the mobile suit Raider roared out in a raging scream.

"Damn!" he cried. "Gripheptan! Gripheptan!"

"Gripheptan?" asked Mr. Murdoch. "What would they want Gripheptan for?"

"That's their medication." said Mwu. "They're CPUs! Coordinators by force!"

"Gripheptan!" cried Ollga, falling out of the Calamity.

"Give us Gripheptan!" roared Shani, falling to his knees. "Give us Gripheptan!"

"Why should we?" said Mwu. "You were the ones attacking Aube! You killed many of our soldiers in your escapade! So, why should we help you!"

"Please!" shouted Kuroto.

"What will you give us in return!" said Athrun. The three looked up to see both he and Kira standing side by side.

"You...two... Are you the...pilots of those...two mobile suits?"

"That we are."-

"Give us Gripheptan!" cried Shani.

"We face a common enemy now." said Kira. "You have no one else to turn to. If you side with us, then we will do all in our considerable power to help you." There was only silence. Besides that of the agonizing cries from the three suffering mobile suit pilots. "What do you say?"

"Very well..." Ollga uttered. "Just help us."

"Alright then."-

"Just like that?" asked Dearka. "These guys took out 10 of our forces last time. Now, we're supposed to give them aid?"

"We need as many allies as we can salvage." said Athrun. "We can't afford to be prejudice right now."

"I guess you're right."-

"Report to the medical facility." Kira instructed. "They will give you the necessary prescription."

"Thank you." said Kuroto. The three were sent off for medical aid.

"Alright!" shouted Mr. Murdoch. "We have a lot to do and we need to do it quick!"

"We have to hurry!" said Kira. "The Empire has already struck against Aube and wiped out the Earth Atlantic Fleet! Without a doubt, they'll be heading for PLANT and ZAFT!"

"What is our next destination!" asked Mwu.

"Orders from Captain Ramius! We'll be going to Kaguya Island!" Mr. Murdoch explained. "There, we'll refit the Archangel with boosters! Once that's finished, we'll begin our trek to PLANT!"

Meanwhile, back on the beach, Riku and Anubis remained at a stand off. Both glared into each others eyes like hawks. The newly formed glass shimmered upon the sand. Riku, with this sword still sheathed, wriggled his fingers just above the hilt.

"You know," he uttered, "we'll have to break this stand off sooner, or later."

"I agree there." chuckled Anubis. "Then, if it is alright with you, I shall take the liberty of delivering the first attack. As to how you will counter, I will leave that completely up to you!" Anubis suddenly swooped towards Riku. Riku. Dodged the attack, leaping over Anubis's head. Anubis, however, suddenly vanished from sight. Riku landed onto the ground. But as he did, from the corner of his eye, he saw Anubis attacking. Riku dodge rolled and leaped back upon his feet.

"Man, this guy's fast." Riku thought to himself. "A little faster than I expected."

"Feast on this, key bearer!" shouted Anubis. "Inferno Blitz!"

From his hands, a large ball of fire formed, and with all his might, Anubis thrust it at Riku. The young warrior dodged as best he could. There was a terrific explosion amongst the sand and the heat burst out with incredible intensity. Riku rolled over the sand quickly leaped back on his feet. But as he gazed, he saw that there was yet another crater of glass.

"That was too close!" Riku said. "This guy not only has the advantage in the air. He also has the ability to manipulate unbearable heat temperatures capable of melting the skin off your bones."

"What do you think, Riku!" chuckled Anubis. "Quite an intense move wouldn't you say?"

"Is that the best you have?"-

"Not even close! The Inferno Blitz is nothing compared to some of the other tricks I have packed away for a special occasion! However, I don't think you'll last long enough to witness them!"-

"I don't know! I've been in hotter situations that this!"-

"Well, if my techniques are too cool for you, I can always turn the heat up a notch!"-

Anubis began to power up again. This time, his body began to glow a bright red. Steam began to rise from his body.

"Get ready for this next attack!" shouted Anubis. "This one is what I call the Inferno Strike!" Suddenly, like a blazing comet, the ninja charged Riku with incredible speed. Riku, saw the attack and dodged in the nick of time. However, the fire accumulating from the tail singed Riku's coat, bringing of the bottom completely.

"Man." Riku uttered. "With that excessive heat, he could burn me to a crisp. Thank goodness I dodged when I did."

"What's wrong, Riku?" said Anubis. "Starting to regret ever facing me one on one?"

"Not really. I'm just disappointed."-

"What do you mean disappointed?"-

"I would have expected you to take this fight more seriously. But if this is all the power you can conjure up, then this one on one fight is just a big waste of my time."-

"What!" Anubis sneered at the youth. "You think I'm not taking this seriously enough! Well, I'll show you! You'll regret ever daring me to use my true strength! Once you see my power, you'll curse the day you ever dared to challenge me to a duel!"

"I highly doubt that!"-

"Then, you're making a big mistake then!"-

Anubis began to increase his strength steadily. The glow of hot red began to intensify and the heat accumulating grew so great, all forms of life surrounding the ninja burst into flames. The sand beneath him melted down until the glass reflected light off its surface like a newly polished dome. Riku, now regretting that he had ever insulted Anubis, began to slowly back off.

"Oh my God." he said. "Anubis...Anubis wasn't bluffing. He really has intense heat resonating from his body."

"Fifty percent of my maximum is all that's required for this conflict." chuckled Anubis. "Now, no one has ever seen me fight at my fifty percent mark. So, I thought I'd humor you by showing you what hell looks like in its true form. Now, do you regret ever provoking me, Riku?"Anubis stretched forth his arm, raising it above his head. "Hell Slash!" From his swinging arm, a crescent shaped fired ribbon came charging towards Riku. Riku dodge rolled, but the intense heat melted the shoulder armor off his sleeve. He gazed at the damage. A large enough hole had melted through.

"This guy is something else." Riku said.

"What's wrong? Starting to feel the pressure?" Anubis chuckled. "All I have to do now is figure out how I shall destroy you!"

"If you're gonna think, do it quickly! I don't have much time to deal with you!"-

"Patience, my friend. Patience. These things take time. Besides, I don't want to finish you off hastily. Because you were the one who blew my cover, I'll make sure you suffer greatly!"-

At the same time, Sora and the others had reached Kaguya Island. The Archangel was being outfitted with new booster rockets to help increase the speed when exiting out of the earth's atmosphere. Sora gazed in the distance as he saw the explosions ring out in the area where Riku and Anubis were battling.

"The fight between Riku and Anubis has begun." Sora uttered.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Donald. "We need to help him."

"But that would only work to Riku's disadvantage. Riku is fulfilling his promise to Anubis. A one on one fight is what he declared. And when Riku says something, he says it succinctly and without question. Only to defy that promise would be an assault on Riku's pride as a warrior. Besides, if we interfere, then Riku would have to worry about our safety as well as trying to fight his opponent." Sora walked away, not daring to gaze at the battle that commenced. "Besides, Riku's a tough guy. His heart's too strong. He would never allow himself to be defeated by the likes of Anubis."-

"I hope you're right."-

"How's it coming along with preparations?" asked Mickey.

"We should be ready to make lift off in about ten, or fifteen minutes." Mr. Murdoch replied.

"We'll then, we should prepare ourselves for launch." Kira instructed.

"How are the three pilots we picked up?" asked Athrun. "Kuroto, Shani, and Ollga?"

"They've been given a few doses of Gripheptan." said Mwu. "They should be alright."

"I still don't think we can trust them though." Dearka explained. "You saw how those three shot at each other during the first attack on Aube. I'm telling you guys, their unstable."

"That can easily be resolved though." said Kira. "All we have to do is tell them to attack those mobile dolls. And I can guarantee they will fight their hearts out."

At that moment, Captain Murrue Ramius spoke over the loud speaker.

"All personnel prepare to launch!" she ordered. "I repeat! All personnel prepare to launch! We are launching in five minutes! Secure yourselves and brace for take off!"

The ship began to ascend into the air at a steady pace. The sound of the boosters generated throughout the ship. Firing the main guns into the atmosphere, the Archangel created a temporary, stream line portal which allowed them to exit out of Earth's atmosphere without burning, or stalling. The Archangel, within minutes of departure from Aube, eventually made its way out of Earth's atmosphere with very little effort and without a huge consumption of the fuel needed. Captain Ramius set her sights towards PLANT.

"Set coordinates to PLANT!" she ordered. "We'll be giving them a hand."

"Aye, Mam!" the crew responded.

Meanwhile, nearing the hourglass colonies of ZAFT, the forces of the Empire stalled for a temporary period of time. They had used this time refit the Virgo mobile dolls and set a program to where they would not drop their guards at any time. The speed level was increased and their defensive and offensive abilities upgraded. They were also upgraded to interact with the Taurus mobile dolls for combined strategy. Lord Arakis sat on the bridge of the grand destroyer, slowly sipping a cup of tea.

"I always enjoy these quaint little moments before the storm." he uttered. "The sound of the calm broken by sudden chaos."

"I will begin commencement of mobile doll activation!" General Ameba ordered. "General Durovano! Report to the Zero room! Prepare to activate the system and lead the mobile dolls into action!"

"Yes, Sir." replied Durovano. He ran out of the control room towards the mobile doll main control.

"These fools will never know what hit them. It doesn't matter how genetically enhanced you are. You'll never be a match for artificial intelligence."-

"Technically," Arakis interrupted, "if your genes have been manipulated in a way, then you are artificial intelligence."

"If it is alright with you, my lord. I will not hold back. We have one thousand transport carriers of Taurus and Virgo mobile dolls ready to be deployed. And since each carrier holds up to ten suits, that's ten thousand mobile dolls ready for combat. As well, we also have the reserves for close ranged combat. In case the enemy decides to attack our destroyers. Each destroyer carries ten thousand mobile dolls in reserve. And since there are ten destroyers, that's one hundred thousand mobile dolls on reserve. We, however, being the grand destroyer, hold up to twenty thousand dolls in reserve. So we have at least a hundred and twenty thousand dolls in..."

"Enough!" Arakis said. "By the time you finally shut that hole in your face, the enemy would have already intercepted us and the element of surprise would be lost."

"I apologize, your Excellency." He turned to his men. "Send out ten Virgo carriers and ten Taurus carriers at once!"

The main hatches on the destroyers opened, each sending out one carrier of each. The carriers made their way towards the Zaft defense line.

Within ZAFT, the chairman, Patrick Zala, overlooked the construction of their new weapon, the G.E.N.E.S.I.S. A massive beam cannon capable of terrific and massive destruction.

He wandered about it, observing how construction was going. Eventually, he worked his way to the main control room of GENESIS.

"I never would've thought you would pay us a visit, Mr. Chairman." said the commander of GENESIS.

"I just want to see how much you've progressed." said Chairman Zala. "Is GENESIS operational yet?"

"She's operational, Sir. She just needs to be outfitted with more comfortable accommodations for the crew members who operate her."-

"I can see your concern, but I want everyone on standby. You don't know when those miserable Naturals will strike again."-

"I understand, Sir. But I can assure you, those Naturals would never be able to effectively attack out outer defenses."-

But as he had finished his statement, the emergency alarms sounded off. The red lights flashed throughout the facility.

"Attention all personnel!" a voice shouted out from the loud speaker. "Report to level one battle stations! Enemy forces have breeched our first line of defense! I repeat! Enemy forces have breeched our first line of defense!"

"Dispatch Ginns!" shouted Chairman Zala. "Tell them to intercept! Drive them back!"

"Ginns are being dispatched there as we speak, Mr. Chairman!" said the commander. They observed as the wave of ZAFT Ginns went into battle. However, within seconds of entering battle, there was a sudden volley from the enemy and the first wave was completely annihilated. Chairman Zala could not believe what he saw.

"That's impossible." he uttered. "How could the naturals be so effective in those mobile suits?"

"Checking the status of the enemy." said one of the attendants. However, what they saw on the screen were not the Earth forces. "Sir! Those aren't the Earth forces!"

It was then that they detected the ten destroyers and the mighty grand destroyer.

"What...What are those!"-

"They've not been confirmed, Mr. Chairman! They're not part of the Earth Military!"

"They are part of the Dark Empire!" a voice on the intercom shouted out. The cameras spotted a small cruiser coming their way.

"Is that you Rau Le Creuset?" asked Chairman Zala.

"It is, Sir! Request permission to come aboard!"-

"Permission granted!"-

The cruiser eventually made its way into GENESIS. Le Crueze reached the main control room where Chairman Zala awaited his arrival. Yzak Joule, a ZAFT mobile suit pilot, by his side.

"What do you know about this new enemy?" asked Chairman Zala.

"They are the forces of the Dark Empire?" Rau replied.

"The Dark Empire? How come they never made their presence known until now? And how is it that we never knew about them until now?"-

"I have no idea, Sir. They just suddenly appeared on the battlefield, fighting both the Earth forces and Aube."-

"But they fight the same enemy we do. Why are they attacking us?"-

"That's just it. I think they plan of fighting Earth, Aube, and ZAFT at the same time."-

"How foolish! Taking on three enemies at once!"

"That may be so, Mr. Chairman! But they already managed to severely cripple both Earth and Aube with those mobile suits! I've seen them in action! Their reaction and battle strategy are quite impressive! More impressive than I thought anyone was capable of!"-

"They may have been more than a match for the Naturals, but let's see how they do against the superior strength of the Coordinators."-

"I feel that outcome has already been determined, Mr. Chairman."-

They looked on as Ginn after Ginn fell prey to the advanced AI of the mobile dolls. And ZAFT, without the luxury of knowledge about this new foe, was simply too powerless to make a difference.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the fight between Riku and Anubis remained in a stand off. By now, the coat which protected Riku had been singed and burned. But still it remained in tact.

"Come now, Riku!" chuckled Anubis. "Don't tell me that you've run out of ideas already! I would have thought that you could deploy more effective techniques than dodge roll and evade! So far, you haven't even bothered attempting to attack me! What exactly are you waiting for!"

"When you have one shot, you must wait for the opportune moment!" Riku replied. "Right now! I'm just probing for weaknesses!"

"So that's it, eh? You intend to find out my pros and cons! Well, it won't work that easily against me! If there's one thing I've excelled at! It's long range combat!" Suddenly Anubis began to form more energy within his hand. With a thrust of his arm, he threw out two more fire ribbons. Riku, dodged again without trouble. However, he knew that he could not fight against Anubis as long as there was a great deal of distance to cover. "You see, unlike the other members of the Cavendish Shinobis, I use strictly long range combat to finish off my opponent! No grappling techniques! No secret hand to hand combat specials! I only take the pleasure of finishing off my foe from a nice, safe distance!"

"And you call yourself a shinobi!"-

"A shinobi's true nature is to outsmart his opponent! Unlike Isis and Horus before, I make sure not to make contact with my enemy!"-

"You coward!"-

"You can say what you want, Riku! But it's all in vain! Personally, I don't believe in all that honor stuff! The only way to defeat an enemy is to kill them when you're out of reach! I've souly concentrated on perfecting my aim at long distance, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting my hands dirty! And since you can't hover in the air permanently like I can, that gives me the advantage!"

"If you were a true warrior, you'd come and defend your honor!"-

Anubis thrust down more fire balls. Riku dodged the attacks again, but this time his evasion was slower and he was nearly caught in the explosions.

"I told you! I have no honor! I made sure to purge myself of such limitations! Certainly, my techniques are cowardly, but they always work! Horus could've succeeded, but his honor was at steak! And because of that, he fought you face to face and that's what caused his downfall! Isis was the same way! He thought he could hold his own when fighting face to face! He would have succeeded had it not been for that gravity cannon that crushed him with his own attack! If it wasn't for those Zoidians interfering, you would have been dead and my plans wouldn't have been stopped!"-

"A person who has know sense of integrity, or honor has no right to rank themselves amongst the greatest warriors of the universe!"-

"Talk! Talk! Talk! That's all you can do, Riku, is talk! The last time I checked, I still had the advantage and if you ask me, actions speak louder than words! Get ready, boy! You wanted to see my true skills! Then, I'll be more than happy to oblige you!"-

As the aura of power began to encircle Anubis more intensely, Riku knew that the second round was about to begin.

In the depths of space, the mobile dolls of the Dark Empire continued to advance. The Gins of ZAFT fell one after the other. The Coordinators lost continued to suffer heavy casualties while the mobile dolls lost none in the engagement. General Ameba gazed in awe as the enemy troops fell like flies to the onslaught.

"What fools these ZAFT boys are!" he chuckled. "Despite being Coordinators, they still obtain that sense of fear and weakness! The mobile dolls however, have no limitation to hold them back! At this rate, victory will be ours soon enough!"

"Don't put too much faith in the use of machines." Arakis pointed out. "You must remember that Coordinators and Naturals have one thing in common. Their ability to adapt. Once they catch on to a certain weakness, they'll use it to their advantage."

"But we've reprogrammed the mobile dolls to be rid of their weaknesses. And with the use of the Zero system, we can manipulate the mobile dolls to our will. So it isn't always determined by the computer system itself! We too have the ability to adapt."-

"I only caution you. That's all."-

"Your concern is touching, but hardly necessary, my lord. These ZAFT insects will fall sooner, or later." He turned to the personnel. "Get ZAFT headquarters on line! It's time they hear our declaration!"

Amidst the chaos, the tragedy only grew heavier for ZAFT and it's forces. The once proud and seemingly unbreakable defense line of the Coordinators, to which the Earth forces had no way of even approaching in the twelve months of warfare that occurred before, was easily overrun by the Dark Empire in a matter of minutes. Yzak Joule and commander Rau Le Creuset took their mobile suits and began their attack against the mobile dolls. Even Le Creuset's mobile suit, which had been arms with deplorable, remote controlled weapons called funnels, could do nothing to outwit the sudden cunning of the mobile dolls. In the process of the fight, they had managed to shoot down thirteen dolls. However, in the meantime, another fifty of their fellow Coordinators were killed.

"We won't last here much longer!" shouted Yzak. "There are too many of these new mobile suits!"

"I don't understand this!" said Rau. "How is it possible for mobile suits to act so precisely and without hesitation!"

"It's as if they can predict our every move even at the last minute."-

"Well, if we managed to take down thirteen already, then there shouldn't be an excuse not to take down anymore!"

Meanwhile, on board GENESIS, Chairman Zala was giving orders to fire their ultimate weapon.

"Get this thing ready to fire as soon as possible!" he ordered.

"But generating the GENESIS cannon will take some time, Sir!" said the commander. "At least five minutes the most!"

"Then, stop wasting time! The time has now come for us to display to true power of ZAFT's ultimate weapon!"-

"Sir!" shouted one of the attendants. "Our main resource satellite, BOAS, has been overrun!"

"But that cuts our defense strength in half!" said the commander.

"Then, we have no choice!" shouted Chairman Zala. "We must fire the main cannon and stop the advance of the Dark Empire! We must protect the PLANTs at all cost! Our homes depend upon this one action! For ZAFT!"

"For ZAFT!"-

"Oh, isn't that touching!" chuckled a voice over the intercom.

"Who was that!"-

"Sir!" another operative shouted. "We've received an incoming transmission from the fleet of the Dark Empire!"

"On screen!" said Chairman Zala, angrily. "I wish to see the face of the pig that dares to threaten our homes!"

"Yes, Sir!" The operative turned on the transmission screen and for the first time, both sides saw each others faces. Before Chairman Zala, the face of General Ameba gazed at him.

"This is General Ameba!" the Imperial began. "Commander of the 3rd Imperial Fleet of the Dark Empire!"

"What is it that you want, General Ameba!" shouted Chairman Zala. "This attack on ZAFT is unforgivable! Why have you attacked us when we are fighting against the same enemy!"

"First of all, we have no treaty with either you, Aube, or Earth! Therefore, we hold no loyalties towards you, or anyone else! Secondly, we do this because we seek to prove that our forces are far more advanced than you could ever dream of imagining! And finally, we intend to prove to you that resistance if futile! We demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the ZAFT organization! Then, they are to yield all resources to the Empire's benefits and declare their total and absolute loyalty to his Excellency, Master Cavendish! Do this and both you and the colonies shall be spared! Do not and we cannot guarantee the safety of you, or the ZAFT citizens! Defy us and I guarantee that we will see the annihilation of you and your pathetic race!"-

"Sir!" shouted one of the attendants. "GENESIS is ready to fire!"

"Setting coordinates to the grand destroyer!" shouted another. "Commencing fire!"

"This is my answer!" chuckled Chairman Zala. "The answer you will never get the chance to here! Fire!"

A massive energy wave bellowed out from the GENESIS mirror and went charging into the think of the Imperial line.

"An incoming beam is heading straight for us!" said one of the attendants.

"Why is it that they insist on doing things the hard way?" Ameba uttered. "Up the distortion field. Compliments of our adversaries from the 'Nadesico Realm.'"

The beam intercepted the ship and slammed head on into the hull. However, the distortion shield was deployed in time. So the powerful wave of the GENESIS could not break through the defense of the grand destroyer.

"Status?"-

"We've taken no damage to the destroyer, General Ameba!" said one attendant. "But we lost the majority of our mobile dolls in the explosion.

"What a bother. Send out ten more carriers of each mobile doll model. And send this message to all other destroyers. Pincer formation! We're going to attack the colonies!"-

Patrick Zala could only look on in horror as the beam was absorbed into the shield. The attack had was in vain. The GENESIS had proven completely ineffective against the Empire. He could only watch as ZAFTs state of the art and most powerful weapon, ever manufactured, was rendered obsolete after one attack.

"It can't be!" he uttered. "That was our last hope!"

"Well this has all been very entertaining." said Ameba, continuing with his transmission. "But seeing that you have decided to remain defiant, I can no longer guarantee your safety, or the safety of your beloved citizens. And as you watch our eventual takeover, you can all curse your own impotence while we continue towards the PLANT colonies of ZAFT. Their fate has already been sealed. Personally, if you look at the situation, you are no different from the Naturals. You are incompetent and too proud for your own good. And that's what makes you weak. Natural, or Coordinator. It's all the same to me."

The transmission ended there and Patrick Zala, the once arrogant and headstrong chairman of ZAFT, fell to his chair and lowered his head. He gazed up to his people.

"Your orders, Mr. Chairman?" asked the commander.

"Inform the council." he uttered. "Send an emergency message to the colony citizens to begin evacuation. We will continue to fight head on. I must not let the people think we've given up. I must not allow them to lose hope. I will not allow them to lose their way of life!" He stood up suddenly, with a gripped fist. "And I will not go down in history as the man who abandoned his people to oppression! We will fight on to the last man! Understood!"

"SIR!" everyone cried within the room.

"We must fight this enemy. But we can't do it alone. Already, our defenses have proven useless against the Dark Empire. Therefore, I am ordering a temporary cease fire with the Earth forces."-

"What!" said the commander, shocked as what he was hearing. "Are you saying that we request aid from the Naturals! What good will that do! The Naturals have no use on the battlefield whatsoever! They don't even have the right to live in the same universe as we do!"

"Listen, commander." said Chairman Zala. "I hate the Naturals just as much as you do, but if we can't even protect our homes any better than they, then we have no right to begin passing judgment on them. What chance do you think we'll have if we keep fighting alone at this rate? We need the earth's unlimited manpower and resources if we intend to survive this."

"But Mr. Chairman..."-

"What other option have we?"-

"Mr. Chairman. Please think this over at least. We'll be siding with the Naturals. The one enemy we've been fighting for the past year. They'll only use this kind of excuse to show themselves off. Saying that we, being Coordinators, couldn't even defend our homes when we had to." There was a sudden silence between the two.

"Then perhaps its about time that we look from the Natural's perspective." Chairman Zala uttered. "And now that I have, I realize that we are no different from them. We consider ourselves stronger to them, but they continue to fight, despite the odds against them. Now, we are placed in the same position. We now defend ourselves against more powerful enemy forces and we have proven only ineffective against them."-

"But the Naturals! If we side with them, that'll make things worse once the fighting between Earth and ZAFT begin again after this! How can you expect our soldiers to kill the enemy Naturals when they realize their humanity is the same as ours in a way!"-

"Then, perhaps this is the best course of action! Natural and Coordinator can some how find a way to live in peace! They've suffered just as much as we have! But if we don't stand with them, both Naturals and Coordinators will be eradicated!" Chairman Zala stood over the groups of operatives. "From here on out, Earth, Aube, and ZAFT must drop their differences! Only when we fight together can we succeed! Send a message to the Earth forces and Aube! That united we will stand to fight this cunning scourge!"-

Within the control room of the grand destroyer, they encountered a barrage of messages leading to Earth.

"Sir, it seems that they're requesting aid from Earth and Aube!" said one of the attendants.

"So, the mighty Coordinators have finally discovered that they are not so mighty after all!" chuckled Ameba. "Now they stoop themselves down to the point where they are trying to rally the Naturals! The lower form of human life that has been their enemy for the past twelve months! They first fight each other because they are different! Now, they seek each others aid in times of need! How ironic is that!"

"You must understand that the entire situation drips with irony." said Arakis.

"Does it, my lord?"-

"Drips. When the Naturals were put on the defensive, the Coordinators scoffed at the futility of their efforts. But when it's the Coordinators who are placed in the same situation, they don't find it as amusing as before."-

"Well, let them combine forces! The more men they send in to fight, the more casualties will be inflicted on them by our superior mobile dolls."-

"I wouldn't be so arrogant about the situation until we see whether, or not, the outcome is entirely in our favor. They may soon catch on!"-

"Nonsense, my lord! They will never stand a chance against us! Because we have might on our side!"-

"General Ameba, Sir!" cried one of the operatives. "The Archangel has entered the vicinity!"

"On screen!" As the monitors scanned the area, they saw the legged ship slowly approaching from behind. "Well, well, well. They intend to attack us from behind, eh? As if there efforts will make any difference."

"They've dispatched several mobile suits!" said another operative. The scanners picked up the Strike, Freedom, Justice, Buster, and surviving of the Aube Mobile Division closing range with them.

"Dispatch the mobile dolls!" shouted Ameba. "Let them feel the full extent of our power! Send in one hundred of our reserve mobile dolls! We'll see how well these fools can endure!"

As the Archangel neared the fleet of Imperial destroyers, they immediately saw mobile dolls taking the defensive.

"Mobile dolls!" shouted Kira.

"What do we do!" asked Dearka.

"We'll split our forces into two! Athrun, Dearka, and myself will aid the ZAFT forces while Mwu, Cagalli, and the rest of the Mobile Division stay behind to protect the Archangel!"-

"Roger that!" said Athrun.

"Roger that!" added Dearka and Mwu.

"Roger that!" said Cagalli and the members of the Mobile Division.

"Alright!" shouted Kira. "Let's go!"

"You stay safe!" Captain Ramius stated. "All of you!"

Meanwhile, in the hanger of the Archangel, Mr. Murdoch and his mechanic teams were quickly repairing the gummi ship.

"How are repairs coming along!" asked Sora.

"The repairs are almost finished!" Murdoch replied. "We've done some upgrading to the gummi ship! We also added a special beam cannon, capable of breaking through electromagnetic shields and stuff! Unfortunately, because it was meant for mobile armor, we couldn't use it for any of the mobile suits! But as you can see, it fits perfectly with the gummi ship!"

"Well, when it's completed, transfer it over to the launch ramp!" Mickey instructed. "Then aim us towards the grand destroyer of the Imperial fleet!"

"What! But that's suicide!"-

"Don't worry! We have a job to do! The only way to stop the mobile dolls is to destroy the main source of power! And I am confident that it's on board that mother ship!"-

"Well, it's your call then! But don't blame me if you get killed!"-

The mobile suits of the Archangel had spread out to deploy their strategy. While Mwu and Cagalli stayed behind to protect the Archangel, Kira, Athrun, and Dearka moved out to fight the bulk of the mobile doll units. At the same time, Rau Le Creuset and Yzak Joule continued to fight in the midst of the battle. Surrounded by mobile dolls, their mobile suits were slowly giving way as they lost precious time and energy.

"We'll be lost at this rate!" said Yzak. "There are too many of these mobile suits!"

"Who the heck is piloting them!" Rau uttered. "They can't be Naturals! We wouldn't have this much trouble! Could it be Coordinators! No, not even Coordinators are this precise!"

It was at that moment that they saw a squadron of Virgos coming at them with their beam cannons blazing away at them.

"This can't be!" shouted Yzak.

Just then, from out of the depths of space, several powerful energy beams hit the mobile dolls and the unites were easily obliterated. Yzak and Rau looked to see who was coming to their aid.

"We're on our way!" shouted a voice.

"Athrun!" said Yzak. "Is that you!"

"He's not the only one!" added another voice.

"Dearka!"-

"It's nice to see that you two are alive!" chuckled Rau. But as he soon noticed, the gundam Freedom had also accompanied them. "Why is Freedom trailing you!"

"We've joined forces with him!" said Dearka.

"You can't be serious!" shouted Yzak. "That guy's the enemy!"

"Tell that to the mobile dolls." Kira uttered.

"Mobile dolls?"-

"What do you mean by mobile dolls?" asked Rau.

"The reason for why the mobile suits are able to react and fight so well," Kira stated, "is because they are being controlled by artificial intelligence."

"That means that they show no remorse and no hesitation when fighting their opponent." added Athrun. "That's why it seems that they can predict our every move."

"Well, how do we counter it?" asked Yzak.

"Simple." said Kira. "We must split the mobile dolls up into individual units. Break up their formations and destroy them one at a time. By doing that, we must attack them simultaneously. One of us draw their attention. Once the dolls drop their guards, then we can concentrate our fire to where the first member was. That'll be the strategy we use for the Virgo mobile dolls. The ones with the shields. As for the swift Tauruses, we just attack them. Try and confuse the computer system. Catch them off guard."

"Understood!" said Athrun.

"Affirmative!" added Yzak.

"Roger that!" said Dearka.

"Now we'll show these fools the true art of battle!" chuckled Rau

The five mobile suits deployed themselves and took on the bulk of the mobile doll force head on. Now, however, because they had been exposed to battling the dolls before, they had finally caught on to the weaknesses of their deployment. Despite the reprogramming of the mobile dolls, they were still as vulnerable as before.

"Keep it up, you guys!" shouted Dearka, giving support fire. "Keep this up and we'll finish them off in no time!"

"How are things coming along at the Archangel defense!" asked Kira.

"These mobile dolls must have taken the stupid pill, or something." chuckled Mwu. "So far we've managed to take out twenty two of those brainless machines."

"Keep it up then!"-

The battle had turned against them and General Ameba could only watch in a manner of shock as the mobile dolls, despite the use of the Zero system, slowly began to fall like flies.

"Impossible!" he said. "This can't be! General Durovano! What is going on here! Why all of a sudden are the mobile dolls losing the battle!"

"I don't know, Sir!" replied Durovano from the Zero room. "It was all going well! Then all of a sudden those damned mobile suits began to gain ground against the dolls!"

"Well, you better change your strategy!"-

"I can do that, Sir! But it won't change the reaction time of the dolls!"-

"Damn!"-

"Well," Arakis uttered, "it's just as I had predicted. The mobile dolls have somehow hit a flaw. And their effectiveness on the battlefield has been cut in half. Such a pity."

"What do you propose we do, my lord?"-

"That's simple! The gundams certainly have the skills, but they still have a limited amount of battle energy. The best course of action is deploy our forces one at a time and prolonged the battle to the extent where the gundam pilots can no longer continue to battle. As well, if our destroyers fire their barge cannons, we can further complicate matters for both ZAFT and earth. Concentrate all fire power on the GENESIS. We take that out and ZAFT has lost a powerful ally. Give them a blast of the Gravitron Wave. Compliments of the 'Nadesico Realm.' Then we'll see how effective they are after that."-

"Excellent strategy, my lord!" Ameba turned to control. "Tell destroyers nine and ten to commence firing on the colonies! And dispatch the mobile dolls! Let's see if only those five mobile suits can cover that much ground!"-

"Aye, Sir!" shouted one of the attendants. "Relaying the message to destroyers nine and ten! Commence attack on the ZAFT colonies! I Repeat! Commence attack of ZAFT colonies!"

As they continued to fight, the gundams soon realized that the front had extended to the point where all of ZAFT was entirely surrounded by the enemies. The destroyers were now commencing with firing their barge cannons. The gundams now had not only mobile dolls, but incoming energy beams from the destroyers to worry about as well.

"Man!" said Dearka. "They certainly don't make it easy for us!"

"We have to fight on!" said Kira. "We can't give up! All humanity depends on it!"

"Still siding with the Naturals, Kira!" shouted Rau. "How could you count them in when you know they were the ones who started this war!"

"He's right!" added Yzak. "If it wasn't for those Natural bastards, the Bloody Valentine tragedy would never have occurred! It is we, the Coordinators who are the true humanity! We are the new humanity!"

"Do you still believe that?" Kira asked. "As far as I'm concerned, the Naturals have fought just as hard as the Coordinators! If we are so high and mighty, why is it that we can't take down these mobile dolls without any trouble!" Yzak and Rau suddenly grew quiet. "If you ask me, we are no different from the Naturals! Even if we are genetically enhanced and have superior abilities to them, we still share the same feelings of sadness, joy, and hatred! It's time that we stop being arrogant and envious! The only way for this conflict to ever end is for us to lay down our differences and the events in the past and put them to rest!"

"But how can we forgive the Naturals for what they did to us!"-

"Tell me, Yzak?" Athrun uttered. "Annihilating them would fulfill our revenge, but would you really consider that to be a victory? Would it prove that we are better by doing the same as our enemies? Finally, would taking such revenge bring the dead back to life?" There was silence amongst the five.

"It would end the conflict!" said Rau. "Only if one side is annihilated can peace truly be obtained!"

"Then tell me this. Could you so ruthlessly kill a new born babe in such a cold hearted manner as you do soldiers on the battlefield? A babe who has no knowledge of what is going on and has done no wrong to you?" Rau grew silent again. This time, he did not speak further. "Perhaps the best path of the Coordinator is not to praise our strength, but to praise our weakness. That we must realize that we're not as superior as we thought."

"I guess you're right." said Yzak. "They may be Naturals, but they're still human."

"Then so be it." Rau uttered. "But I will not bend to such a notion unless the Naturals prove themselves to the extent where they have earned my respect."

"Then, gaze upon the Archangel!" Dearka stated. "And see if they live up to your expectations!"

The Archangel now hovered amongst the chaos of the battle. More mobile dolls had made their way into the fray and the battle increased with every passing minute. One by one, the mobile suits defending the Archangel fell one after the others. Only Mwu and Cagalli managed to hold their own.

"We won't last at this rate!" said Mwu. "Our power is at fifty percent!"

"Where the heck are all those mobile dolls coming from!" added Cagalli. "It's as if there's no end to them!"

"Consider us lucky that they're not overwhelming us!"-

"You must continue the fight!" Captain Ramius ordered. "We'll do what we can to back you up!"

"I suggest that you withdraw the Mobile Suit Division!" said Cagalli. "Allow them to rest! We'll take it from here!"

"Just the two of you! How long do you think you'd last if only two of you are there to stop the countless numbers of mobile dolls!"

"It won't be just the two of them!" shouted a voice. From the launch ramp, three other mobile suits made their way to the battle front. It was the Calamity, the Raider, and the Forbidden. Speaking to the battle weary gundams was Kuroto of the gundam Raider. "We'll take over! You two get back into the Archangel and rest up!"

"We'll take out these insects ourselves!" chuckled Shani.

"It's the least we could do for your help!" added Ollga.

"To the battle front!" shouted Kuroto. "Let's see how tough these mobile dolls really are!"

"Thank you very much!" said Cagalli as she and Mwu withdrew into the Archangel. The infamous three, who had made hell for Aube in the first engagement back on Earth, now put their heart and soul into defeating the mobile dolls. And because they had learned from their passed mistakes, they quickly made a strategy to work as a group. As they deployed themselves into different formations, the effectiveness of the mobile dolls began to decrease. They were no longer as invincible as they once were. As they used supportive attacks on the Virgo mobile dolls, they used the element of confusion to elude and destroy the faster, and more agile Taurus mobile dolls.

"Look at them go." said Cagalli, overlooking the battle from the observation room.

"I'm sure glad they're on our side right now." added Mwu. "We had a hard enough time trying to fight them back on Earth."

"Make sure not to waste your energy!" said Kuroto. "The fate of this battle depends on our conduct!"

"I know! I know!" Shani replied. "Don't worry! So far, after confronting them before, these mobile dolls aren't so tough as we thought they were earlier!"

However, as they continued to knock out one mobile doll after another, the three noticed that several hatches had opened on the grand destroyer.

"Look at that!" said Shani. "It looks like that destroyer's about to do something!"

But as they gazed on, they soon realized, with a sudden blast bellowing forth from the destroyer, that the barge cannons of the mother ship were firing upon them. The mobile dolls, sensing the incoming energy, easily dodged the barrage, leaving the three gundams open to attack.

"Dodge! Now!" shouted Kuroto. The three gundams quickly evaded the incoming beams.

"Evade!" Captain Ramius ordered. The Archangel quickly moved out of the range of the aimed guns. "Give them a volley! Valiant guns fire!"

"Give them hell!" shouted Ollga. The assault was pressed on.

"What fools these people are!" chuckled General Ameba. "The mobile dolls might have been easy to take down, but the destroyers are something else!"

"With overwhelming numbers of mobile dolls, the gundams will soon reach their limit and will have to retreat." Arakis uttered.

"I take it that Earth has refused to help ZAFT! I wouldn't blame them! Coordinators and Naturals still haven't dropped their hatred towards each other in order to come to each others aid. And because there is such a small force opposing us, our victory is well assured!"-

"General Ameba, Sir!" shouted one of the attendants. "The GENESIS cannon is about to open fire again.

"No need to fear!" said Ameba. "How is it with the Gravitron cannon?"

"It's ready to fire, Sir!" said another operative. "We are awaiting your order, Sir!"

"Commence firing when they begin their attack!" Ameba sat down in the commander's chair and sighed. "Those pitiful insects, they don't stand a chance against us. Little do they know that even if they do fire the GENESIS cannon, if we fire our gravitron wave, it will automatically deflect their beam. Once the gravitron wave makes contact with the GENESIS, that facility will be blown to bits. Thus, with that cheap cannon out of the way, then ZAFT will be at our mercy. There will be nothing left that can effectively defend it. And with the Naturals keeping a closed ear to ZAFT's plea, it won't be long before the Coordinator finally meets his match."

"Apparently, the battle strategy is going rather well." said Arakis. "I must commend you on a job well done, General Ameba."

"Quite a flattering statement, my lord. Perhaps my reputation will spread after this victory."-

"For your sake, I hope so. I'll make sure to put a good word in it for you."-

"You are too generous, my lord." Ameba turned his back towards Arakis, so as to hide his smirk. "That's right, Arakis. I've already made you sweat. When news of my success reaches the heads of the Imperial council and his Excellency, Master Cavendish, then my influence over the Empire will increase. My philosophy of merciless tactics towards all will guarantee success every time. And you will lose your stamina with the new generation of Imperial loyalists."-

Meanwhile, aboard the GENESIS, people and personnel were beginning to be evacuated. Only Chairman Patrick Zala and the GENESIS operatives stayed behind.

"How is the status with the GENESIS?" he asked.

"A new icon has been placed in position and generators are running at maximum capacity!" one of the operatives stated.

"Excellent! On my command, prepare to open fire on the mother ship!"-

"But Mr. Chairman." said the commander. "Our first attack had no effect on it before!"

"Perhaps, if the distance is closed between us and them, the fire power will have more effect! Wait until they are fifty kilometers from us! Then fire with everything you have! Keep the generators running over their limit!"-

"But Mr. Chairman! If we do that, then the generators will explode! If they explode than the GENESIS will be rendered useless!"-

"Then, you better find a way to exceed the possible limits and prevent the generators from exploding! We need maximum power!"-

"Mr. Chairman!" a runner came in to deliver a message. "All civilian personnel and working crews have been evacuated, Sir!"

"Good! If this fails, we can limit casualties to only ourselves! Any word from the Earth forces! Have they answered our plea!"-

"No, Sir! We've received no word from the Earth forces! They intend not to help us whatsoever, Sir!"-

"Damn those Naturals! Damn them all! Even when we face a common enemy, they refuse to help us! What good are scum like they!" Chairman Zala fell silent though as he watched ZAFT carriers and ZAFT Ginns fall easy prey to the mobile dolls. Left and right, their defenses fell. There masses were easily wiped out by only a hand full of dolls. It took the dolls less than a second's period for them to target a Ginn and shoot it down. Whereas, the Coordinators needed five seconds the most in order to target their fast moving foe. A great deal of difference between the two. "Then again, what good are we when we prove no more effective than they? Maybe the time has come for the Coordinator to realize he is only human, not a god. And because he is not a god, he has no right to pass judgment on his fellow man. In the end we fight for survival and our way of life. Difference in superiority no longer has any meaning."-

"We're prepared to fire the GENESIS!" shouted an operative.

"Generators to maximum!" added another.

"Enemy mother ship!" said another. "Forty five kilometers away and counting!"

"I repent my beliefs and hatred for the good of Earth and ZAFT!" shouted Chairman Zala. "This final act is for all of Humanity! Open fire!"

With that, another mighty beam of energy bellowed forth with greater force than the previous attack.

Meanwhile, Kira and the others fought gallantly against the swarms of mobile dolls. However, the front had extended beyond their limits and the group found that they could not defend the entire front all at once. As they fought, they gazed upon the spectacle as the GENESIS cannon activated and fired another power energy wave. They watched as it headed straight for the grand destroyer of the Imperial Fleet. However, soon after, there was a mighty blast from the grand destroyer itself and a powerful energy beam was deployed. What they witnessed was the activation of the Imperial Gravitron Wave Cannon. As the two collided, the GENESIS beam was immediately deflected.

"Did you see that!" said Kira.

"Oh no!" cried Yzak. "GENESIS!"

They watched as the gravity wave slammed itself into the GENESIS. Destroying the main mirror.

"NO!" shouted Dearka. "Our last hope gone!"

"It can't be!" added Rau. "Our greatest weapon! Destroyed!"

A transmission suddenly reached the pilots of the gundams. It was a message to all of Earth and space.

"My fellow Coordinators!" uttered a voice. It was the voice of Patrick Zala. "No... My fellow members of humanity, Natural and Coordinator."

"That's my father!" said Athrun.

"Mr. Chairman..." Yzak uttered.

"This war we have fought...no longer has...any meaning." Patrick Zala continued. "We...have fought each other...because of the...differences we held... against...each other. But...now...the time has come for us to drop our...differences...To forget the events of the past...and unite to stop this...cunning scourge...I admit that I was wrong to pass judgment on humanity, believing that the Coordinators...were in fact the best of the two and were the ones who...deserved to live. But this conflict has proven to me that we still have a long way to go... We still obtain our weakness...and we still obtain a sense of helplessness...As my final act as chairman is to weld the bonds...between Earth and space once again...and unite all of humanity...Whether we are born naturally, or genetically enhanced...we still share the same human emotions...Let us unite as one again...and help our world from being...destroyed..."

"Father! No!" cried Athrun.

"The...future...lies with the next...generation...Let them not repeat the mistakes and crimes we have committed...Let them have a greater aspect on human value...That they shall never cast aside...their fellow man...Long live humanity..."

Suddenly, an explosion occurred within GENESIS and the great facility began to break apart. The transmission turned to static. Athrun could only gaze on as he saw the mighty weapon begin to sink. His eyes were filled with tears.

"FATHER!" he wailed. The mobile dolls continued their relentless assault against the gundams, but enough was enough for Athrun. He rushed into the fray head on and attacked the bulk of the mobile doll unit. "DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"

"Athrun!" Kira cried. "Athrun!"

"Come back, Athrun!" shouted Dearka.

"Are you stupid, man!" Yzak roared. "You'll be killed at this rate!"

But Athrun continued his onslaught of the dolls and slew another ten units without trouble. However, the mobile dolls continued to be deployed at an alarming rate and Athrun soon found himself surrounded by an overwhelming swarm. As he continued to battle, a Taurus mobile doll, using the sharpened edge of its arm armor, thrust itself into the cockpit of the Justice. Athrun was struck as metal shards cut its way into his side. Athrun cried in pain as the blood seeped from the wound.

"ATHRUN!" cried Kira. Driving the mobile doll away and destroying it before it could inflict further damage. "Athrun are you alright!"

"I'm...fine..." Athrun uttered.

"I'll get you out of here! I'll take you back to the Archangel!"-

"But Kira...!" said Dearka. "We can't take on these mobile dolls by ourselves!"

"But I..."-

"It's alright." Athrun uttered. "It's better...this way...We can't weaken the line anymore...than it is..."

"Athrun!" cried Kira.

But as he gazed on, another mobile doll rushed forth to destroy both the Justice and Freedom. Kira could only watch as the inevitable descended upon them. Suddenly, from our of nowhere, a mobile suit came crashing into the scene and destroyed the incoming dolls. Kira and the others looked to see what had happened. Before them, a red mobile suit of a different model.

"I hope I'm not too late for the party!" the pilot chuckled.

'Who...who are you?" asked Kira.

"Hmm? Aw come on, kid! After saving your life once before, you think you'd remember! Oh yeah, you were unconscious the entire time."-

"What do you mean saved my life once before?"-

"When you fought that red mobile suit on the way to Alaska! Remember! Haven't you ever wondered how you got to the Clyne estate!"-

"Who are you?"-

"The name is Lowe Gear! Pilot of the mobile suit Astray! Red model!"-

As he conversed, another mobile doll made its attack. However, another Astray model, this time a blue model, came crashing in, destroying the mobile doll instantly.

"Surely, you forgot to introduce me!" chuckled the voice of the second pilot. "The name is Mercenary Gai Murakumo! I pilot the Blue frame Astray!"

"Typical of you Coordinators!" chuckled Lowe. "Always doing things the flashiest way!"

"Typical of Naturals! Always mouthing off in the flashiest way!"-

"Where did you guys come from?" asked Yzak.

"Didn't you hear! And you call yourself a Coordinator!" chuckled Lowe.

"Excuse me, but I've been fighting battles all day! So don't you be getting all over me, Natural!"-

"Whoa. Somebody needs to relax."-

"Heard what?" asked Kira.

"The Earth received your message and they're sending their entire military force into space to assist you, silly! They're relaying their message to ZAFT now!"-

"Now, enough standing around!" said Gai. "We'll take it from here! It's best you get your friend to safety!"

"Thank you." said Kira. He took hold of the Justice with the wounded Athrun still inside and worked his way to the Archangel. "Hold on Athrun. Hold on."

Kira connected transmission with the open line in the meantime, hearing the declaration of the Earth forces.

"We, the citizens of the Earth sphere, hereby declare that we shall assist ZAFT and its people in its time of need. We concur with the philosophy that its time we put aside our differences and begin a new era where both Natural and Coordinator can live side by side in peace and harmony. We further declare that once the battle has ended, both the Earth and ZAFT delegates shall compromise and begin our path to reconstruction. We will do all in our considerable power to confront this cunning foe and drive them back to the depths from whence they came."

Soon, another message entered. Kira listened closely to the voice, realizing that it was none other than Lacus Clyne.

"We must sing the song of peace." she began. "The peace which we have so longed for. We can no longer hate each other for what we are. We can no longer be arrogant, or envious. Let us learn from each other and learn to live with one another. To integrate ourselves to the point where it no longer matters whether you are a Natural, or a Coordinator. We are children of humanity and we are all unique in every way."

"This war has been waged on revenge and hate." Kira thought. "And as an outcome, the path to destruction. But perhaps, with us as the new generation, we can eliminate the prospect of war and focus on the value of humanity itself." As he neared the Archangel, he saw as thousands of ships from Earth coming forth to fight the Imperial fleet. "Both Earth and space have somehow found the value in each other's lives. That we are not so different as earlier expected. The aspect of our cause has changed over the passed year. And this time, it was for the best of both sides."

Sora and the others aboard the Archangel listened to the relayed message that were sent between Earth and ZAFT.

"The perspectives have changed and they have found a sense of comradeship between each other." Sora uttered. "Riku was right. The perspective always changes at times. For better, or for worse." His thoughts soon dwelled on Riku, who was still fighting Anubis back on Earth. "It hasn't been thirty minutes yet and already so much had happened in that small period of time. The Empire gained domination, they lose domination, worlds come together to fight against a common foe and they have realized their own faults in the past. All if right with the world."

Just then, the Freedom and Justice reentered the hanger, landing safely onto the floor. Kira jumped out of his cockpit and onto the Justice. He slowly took Athrun out of the cockpit. By now, Athrun had lost a lot of blood and he was barely hanging onto life. Kira picked him up and descended to the ground. He lay Athrun on the ground, still holding him in his arms. Athrun's eyes were closed. His blood continued to seep from the open wound. Kira placed his hand on the wound, preventing the blood from spilling any further.

"Athrun." Kira whispered. "Athrun are you alright?"

"K...Kira." Athrun uttered. His breathing grew heavier. "K...Kira? Are you there?"

"I'm right here, Athrun." He reached for his dying friend's hand, which so desperately tried to grasp his. Kira could feel as Athrun's grip grew tighter.

"K...Kira. I'm...sorry... I should've listened to you. But...I was just so...angry... The Empire... they killed my father... They killed him... I grew blind with...rage... But this is the result...of my blindness..." Athrun gazed down at his wound. His eyes half open. He then gazed up at Kira. "Kira? K...Kira?"-

"Hang in there, Athrun!" cried Kira. "You'll make it! You'll make it! Get a stretcher over here!"

"What's happening!" asked Sora, rushing to the scene.

"It's bad, Sora! Athrun! He's been wounded!"-

"Goofy!"-

"I gotcha!" Goofy replied. He reached into his bag and pulled out a Senzu beam. He broke it in half and gave it to Athrun. "Here ya go, Athrun! A nice Senzu bean for ya!"

"A...bean?" asked Athrun.

"It'll restore your strength." said Sora. Athrun gazed at Kira. Kira nodded his head and Athrun raised his head slightly to swallow the bean. Goofy slowly placed it in his mouth. Athrun chewed the bean slowly in his mouth, swallowing it within a few seconds after. Suddenly, as if waking from a dream, Athrun stood up in a state of shock.

"What the...!" said Kira.

"I feel...I feel great!" said Athrun. He gazed down to where he wound was. Smearing the blood away, he realized the wound was gone. "My wound! It's healed! There isn't even a scar, or anything!"

"How did you do that!" asked Kira.

"Special beans from our friend, Goten!" chuckled Goofy.

"Senzu beans have the ability to heal wounds, mend broken bones, and restore health to its full capacity!" said Sora.

"How does it work?" asked Kira.

"That's the thing. We don't know."-

"Hey, Sora!" shouted Mr. Murdoch. "Your gummi ship has been repaired! If you still want us to launch you, you better hurry up! We're already beginning to load it onto the launch ramp!"

"Alright! We'll be there!" the three ran to where the ramp and gummi awaited them. "We gotta run! Thanks guys!"

"Take care of yourselves!" Kira replied.

"We expect you to come back alive!" added Athrun.

"Which is more than I can say for you two!" shouted a voice. Kira and Athrun looked to see Cagalli charging towards them. She embraced the two tightly with tears in her eyes "You morons! I thought you wouldn't make it back!"

"Cagalli." Kira uttered.

Meanwhile, Sora, Donald, and Goofy boarded the gummi ship. The engines ignited with great ferocity.

"Gummi ship 'Kingdom!' Launch!" shouted Sora. The gummi ship exited the Archangel with great speed and headed towards the mother ship of the Imperial fleet.

Detection of the gummi ship's approach was swift. It wasn't long before sensors picked up the incoming cruiser.

"General Ameba, Sir!" an operative shouted. "We have an incoming cruiser attempting to enter out boarding dock!"

"What!" said Ameba.

"Checking status on incoming, enemy ship!" the cameras closed in on the incoming vessel. "It's the Kingdom!"

"The gummi ship!"-

"They're coming at us at an incredible speed!"-

"Maximize distortion field!"-

"Distortion field up!"-

"Now, Sora." Arakis uttered. "Don't be foolish. You'll end up involving yourself in Imperial affairs. There will be no rest for you if the Empire marks you as an enemy."

"They'll never break through the distortion field!" said Ameba.

But as they observed, the Kingdom suddenly fired its new beam cannon, which created a temporary access hole in the shield. The ship made its way through and landed on the boarding dock, through the transparent airlock.

"Damn!" shouted Ameba. "They must've come to destroy the main control of the mobile dolls! Send all available troops to stop those intruders!"

"I guess it couldn't be helped." Arakis said to himself. "You are too caring and pure hearted. You and your friends, Sora. To protect this world, you were willing to endanger your own safety. Now, because of the act committed, I cannot fully guarantee your potential survival." Arakis arose from his chair and walked away to the door.

"Going, my lord?"-

"I just have some business to sort out. Continue with your business, General."-

"Very well." Ameba turned to the bridge operatives. "Don't sit their, you blithering idiots! Deploy our troops to stop that key bearer from penetrating into the ship any further!"


	13. Change of Fate

Change of Fate

Meanwhile, upon the Earth, the fight between Riku and Anubis had not changed. Anubis, using his aerial advantage, deployed one fiery attack after another. Riku, dodged again and again, managing to avoid any real damage.

"Come now, Riku!" said Anubis. "This is getting a little boring! Make a move already will you! For the passed thirty minutes, all you've been doing is dodge and roll, dodge and roll! Can't you do anything else besides that?"

"You said that you perfected your aim, Anubis!" Riku replied. "Well, if your aim is so deadly, how come you haven't managed to hit me yet!"

"What's the point of trying to hit you when I can do it so easily? I'm just missing on purpose, so I can watch you squirm! But when you hover about in the air like I do, you begin to lose interest!"-

"Then, why don't you hit me with something besides Hell Flashes and little balls of fire! Personally, I'm getting bored with this as well! I've already learned your attacks so thoroughly; I can react to them while I'm asleep!"-

"As long as you keep dodging and rolling, this fight will go nowhere!"-

"But there's another reason why I've been doing the same thing over and over again!"-

"And what might that be, Riku!" Anubis swung another fired ball at Riku. However, instead of an automatic dodge, Riku suddenly stood his ground. And using his sheathed sword rebound the ball, deflecting it back at Anubis. Anubis had been caught off guard and he suddenly found himself being confronted by his own attack. He dodged within centimeters of the attack. The ball rushed by, but took snapped off one of the light beam decors off his sun mask.

"After a while of dodging and rolling to evade your attack, you too got use to seeing me perform the same move over and over again! But as I had expected, once I reflected the attack instead of dodged it, you didn't know how to react in time!"-

This however, angered Anubis and the eyes of the mask began to glow a bright red.

"You little bastard!" He said, angrily. "Look at what you did! No one has ever done that to me before!"

"What's the matter, Anubis?" chuckled Riku. "Can't take the heat of your own attack!"

"You'll pay for that little escapade!"-

"So I guess your pride as a warrior has been hurt! But I thought you didn't have honor, or pride! A person who's purged themselves of their honor and pride wouldn't allow something like that simple retaliation to faze them!"-

"Well, I never saw that one coming, Riku!" Anubis shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. "Oh, well! At least you gave me a good excuse to use my real skills! And believe me, when I'm finished here, it'll be more than just your pride that'll be hurting!"-

"I see your gums flapping up and down, Anubis, but all I hear is Blah! Blah! Blah!"-

"You go ahead and laugh, Riku! Psych yourself up for the upcoming doom!" Anubis began to power up again. His hands held the fired of the next attack. "You'll enjoy this next attack which I have christened the name Incineration Blockbuster!"

"Well, I hope that your attack is just as intimidating as the name you gave it!" said Riku.

"Oh, it is!" Anubis accumulated a large ball above his head. "Get ready for this!"

The shinobi thrust down the large ball of fire towards Riku. Riku saw the ball and immediately dodged the attack. However, unlike the previous attacks Anubis deployed, which exploded on contact, this new attack rebounded off the ground and bounced into the air. Riku looked up to suddenly see this massive fire ball coming straight for him. Because of this sudden shock, the margin of dodging time had been by three quarters. Riku dodged the attack, but was caught in the explosion. The blast blew him away and Riku ended up rolling on the sand which has not been scorched yet. Thanks to his heavy, black coat, the flames didn't singe him heavily. His coat, however, had suffered dearly. The buttons had been blown off and one of the armored shoulder plates had been melted away. Riku stood to his feet again. As he gazed up, he saw the shinobi chuckling at him.

"Well, you did a lot better than I expected you to do!" chuckled Anubis. "No one has ever confronted my Incineration Blockbuster and lived! You'd be the first one to do that! Either someone up there is looking after you, or you were remarkably lucky!" Anubis began to form another fire ball. "Let's give that another try shall we!"

Anubis thrust the ball down on Riku again. The agile youth saw the ball again and dodge rolled from its path, but again the fire sphere rebounded into the air and attempted to land on him again. Riku dodged in time, but again the ball bounced up and descended upon him. Seven times he dodged and seven times, the ball bounced and crashed down upon him. Finally, becoming disoriented by the continuous, Riku stopped to see the ball come down on him again. He dodged by a narrow margin and the sphere exploded near him. Riku continued to roll, despite the intense heat. The sand was melted down and turned to glass. The heat reddened Riku's face as the flames jumped around him.

"Blast!" he thought. "This guy can somehow control the energy of that attack. Allowing himself to detonate it to his leisure! I have to somehow find a way to either avoid it, or deflect it back at him! And since trying to avoid it has proven useless, deflecting it is my only option!"

"What's wrong, Riku!" chuckled Anubis. "Had enough already! I just finished serving the appetizer and the main course! But what's the point of leaving the table without having some dessert!" The shinobi launched another ball.

"I have no choice!" said Riku. "I have to somehow block that thing and deflect it back!"

The ball came ever closer, but Riku dodged again so he could regain consentration. The ball bounced again and descended upon him. But this time, he stood his ground. Unsheathing his sword and holding it out before him, he hoped to deflect it.

"I ain't gonna be that easy, key bearer!" shouted the shinobi. He thrust his erected index and middle finger upward. On impact, the ball exploded just before touching Riku's sword. Riku, seeing the sudden reaction, threw his arms in front of his face, in a guarding position. The explosion once again threw him off his feet and Riku landed on his back in the sand, amidst the crashing waves of the ocean.

"What happened?" Riku said to himself. "How could that thing have ignited without connecting with me?"

"You fool!" shouted Anubis. "Neither evading, or blocking the attack can stop the Incineration Blockbuster's destructive power! It falls upon my will! I control the very energy of the fire sphere! Therefore, I can easily detonate it whenever I please! Of course, I'm sure you already came to that assumption! But you know as they say! You'll never know if it works unless you try it! In this case, you tried it and as a result, the coat on you back has been burnt to a crisp!" Riku slowly stood up. His coat was now little more than tattered, burnt rags. "I see that you managed to hold your own though! Despite the heat!"

"You have some impressive tactics, Anubis." Riku uttered. "I'll give you that much. However, you have to have a flaw somewhere in your arsenal. Nobody can have strengths without weaknesses!"

"I'm afraid you're wrong, my friend. I have no weakness so long as I maintain the aerial advantage over you." Once again, Anubis began to form another attack with the fire in his hands. "If you liked that technique, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one! A little something called the Cinder Canister!" The ninja concentrated his energy and the fire grew more intense. But as he brought the flames forth, instead of one massive ball, Anubis deployed several smaller balls of fire. Instantly, they spread over Riku. Riku knew that dodging them wouldn't work this time because now the inferno spheres covered a large range. A range to which he could not easily evade. He threw up his sword and made his stance. The balls landed about him and exploded with great ferocity. He deflected several, only to launch them against a target that was no longer there.

"Where did he go?" he thought.

"Over here, Riku!" shouted Anubis. Riku turned to see Anubis deploying more spheres at him with great speed. One managed to hit him while the others passed by harmlessly. Riku quickly regained his stance. "I don't think so, fool!" Anubis pointed behind Riku. Riku turned to see those same fire balls rebounding towards him again. Riku instantly dodged amongst the crashing waves and white sand.

"But how?"-

"Quite simple, Riku. The Cinder Canister has been constructed with a special energy balance. Each ball has been perfectly fitted with a certain amount of energy. It only takes one to hit the intended target for the homing effect to work on the others. When one hits the intended target, a rupture in energy levels causes the others to react. As negative attracts positive, the negative energy within the fire balls are attracted to the positive energy reverberating deep within your being. So no matter how much you try to evade, those balls will follow you wherever you go."-

"I have no choice then." Riku stood to take on the incoming fire balls head on. Thrusting his sword in front of him, he deflected each one back towards the ninja. However, the balls automatically deflected away from Anubis and headed back towards Riku. "Oh man! You have got to be kidding me!"

"Oh, did I forget to mention that deflecting them doesn't make any difference and deflecting them back at me won't do any good either. The reason why is because once the fire balls find their intended target they stay on that target until the target itself runs out of steam. Once that happens, the spheres have an easy kill. So if you want my advice, taking them head on will be less painful. Another fact is I have made sure to unleash my negative energy within me. And because I hold negative energy, other negatively charged objects are repelled away from me. So trying to use my own weapon against me is hopeless."-

"This guy talks too much for his own good!" Riku stood to his feet, deployed a wind shield and embraced for impact. But unfortunately, the fire absorbed it self into the shield. And once all spheres took impact with the shield, an even greater explosion erupted. Riku was thrown off his feet and landed on the wet serf of the beach.

"Well that was a stupid move indeed!" chuckled Anubis. "I guess you have no knowledge of wind and air do you! Well, let me enlighten you, though it won't mean anything in the end since I intend to kill you straight off! Fire thrives on oxygen and wind is usually a form of oxygen excelled to a faster, stronger speed. Therefore, a wind shield is more of a threat to you than my attack. It actually increases the effectiveness of the fire's intensity, spreading it about, causing further damage. And since all that pressure took place in a confined area, that sudden explosion was the result. Taking it head on, without the use of a wind shield, would've inflicted less damage instead. But you're too stupid to have figured that out." But as he gazed, he realized that Riku's had suffered any real damage from the flames. The boy slowly staggered to his feet. Falling back on his chest the first time, Riku regained enough strength to get himself back on his feet. "I don't understand. Those intense flames should've burned the skin off of your bones. Why didn't it have a more damaging effect?"

"It's you who's stupid, Anubis." Riku uttered. "You were so caught up in hitting me with that attack, you didn't realize that I was rolling around in the wet surf. As you know, we're on a beach. And where there's a beach, there's bound to be water close by. What you didn't notice was I was creating my own protective barrier using water. Flames alone cannot douse water."

"Very clever, Riku! Very clever! But water can only be effective against a mild heat source! However, water evaporates and water boils! So, if I make the water hot enough, the minute you step foot in it, you'll be boiled alive instead of being singed to death!"-

"He's right." Riku thought to himself. "Knowing his form of knowledge, Anubis will most definitely use that to my disadvantage. If I try to use the water for cover, he could easily activate another attack and boil the water with me still in it. This battle has already proven that he doesn't hold back when he spots a flaw in a strategy. He automatically takes that flaw and uses it against his opponent most effectively." Riku tore off the tattered coat, leaving his black vest to cover his back. "I have to find a way to stop him. Find one weakness of his. Come on, Riku. Think! What weakness could I use against him." Riku delved into the memories he had in the previous encounters with Anubis. Then suddenly, he remembered what it was that Anubis was afraid of. "That's it! I know his greatest weakness!"

"Well, this has been fun and all, Riku, but I've spent ten minutes over my tolerance period." said Anubis. "You see, I always manage to defeat my foes and end my battles in less than thirty minutes. However, I've been playing with you for forty minutes. And like all things, they get old and I eventually lose interest in them. So, I'll make this quick for you. I hope you don't take this personally, Riku, but please don't think this has been one hell of a blast, because it hasn't."

"This will be my final fight then." Riku uttered. He formed a wind shield again. "In that case, I will be sure to make my final efforts count."

"This again! I would have thought that after that last attack, you would realize that using wind against fire is more hazardous to you than helpful!"-

"I'll take my chances!"-

"So be it, kid! But I thought you would have been smarter than that!" Anubis began to form more fire in the palms of his hands. "Since you favored the Cinder Canister and the Incineration Blockbuster that last time, then I guess I'll humor you by finishing you off with those same moves! I'll make sure to tell Sora that you said 'goodbye!'"

Anubis then fired his barrage of fire balls and each of them went charging at Riku. The impact they made was even grater than the last time. Smoke and ash, along with grains of sand, bellowed into the air. Anubis watched as the explosions incinerated all around them. He then took his mighty Incineration Blockbuster and thrust it down to where the smaller fire balls made impact. The explosion caused half of the beach to go up in flames. The water boiled and sand turned to glass in mid-air.

"Poor little imbecile." Anubis uttered. "Took death head on without any bit of resistance. Well, that Riku wasn't as tough as I thought he was. Maybe his friend, Sora, would have made a better opponent than him." But as the smoke cleared, Anubis gazed upon a sight which deemed impossible. Riku still stood with the wind shield still in effect. The attack deployed against him had no effect on him whatsoever. "It can't be. It can't be! That's impossible! You should be dead!"

"As you can see, that outcome has been denied." Riku said.

"But how! I hit you with my most powerful attacks! How could you have survived those, taking them head on!"-

"I used my Aeroga shield."-

"But even with the Aeroga shield, there's no way it could have deflected the flames!"-

"Not unless you use a counter element."-

Anubis's eyes grew wide with shock and fear. Could it be that this boy had a grasp of knowledge of the ice element?

"Don't tell me that you've grasped the ability of the ice element!"-

Riku suddenly leaped up into the air and unleashed the Blizzaga spell at point blank range. The shards struck Anubis and the shinobi fell to the ground in agony.

"You can thank my friend, Sora, for teaching me that technique." Riku explained. Anubis curled up in a ball as if his body was flowing with acid. "I understand why you use long ranged attacks instead of hand to hand combat. The reason why is not only so that you can defeat your foe at a safe distance, but you could also avoid encountering any foe who had knowledge of the ice element. That is the one great weakness you have. It became painfully obvious when Donald shot that Blizzaga spell at you back in the jail block. You had raved in agony when the shards hit you. That is why you wanted to avoid hand to hand combat. You feared that ice would be deployed. And since we have a history of using ice, you wanted to ignore close ranged assaults." Anubis slowly stood up. "Look at you. That one shot and you're sent to the ground screaming in pain. If you were smart, you would have concentrated of focusing on your weaknesses instead of your strengths. Only when you concentrate on your weaknesses do you become stronger."

"Shut up, you!" said Anubis, angrily gritting his teeth. "You were just lucky that's all! But I can do away with your ice advantage! All I need to do is concentrate all my energy and make my heat greater! Then, I will strike back at you and you'll be sorry you ever took a swing at me!"

"Then, let's see if you can back up your words!"-

"You fool!" Anubis struck with his Cinder Canister, but Riku quickly deployed the Aeroga shield combined with the blizzaga spell. The fired balls were quickly quenched by the cold temperature. Riku deployed a second Blizzaga spell and struck at Anubis. Anubis again was hit and he fell to the ground in agonizing pain. He heated his body to stop the chilly sting. Leaping back to his feet, he prepared to counter with a Hell Slash. But Riku suddenly appeared before him, with his sword drawn. Anubis knew he could melt the swords blade if he caught it and catch the blade he did. But his fingers burned again. He grasped his hand.

"Nice try!" said Riku. "But I knew you'd try to grasp the blade and try to stop my attack! That's why I took the liberty of using the Blizzaga spell to freeze the blade. That way, you couldn't touch the blade without getting freezer burns!"

"You arrogant little fool!" roared Anubis. "I'll show you!"

"What's wrong? Has your pride been hurt!"-

"Idiot! I have no pride to hold me back!"-

"You could've fooled me!"-

"I'll give you something to mock, boy!"-

Anubis suddenly went into grappling with Riku, trying to strike at him with power arm and leg work. But Riku predicted every move and easily deflected and evaded them. With the sheath of his sword, he struck the shinobi across the belly. As Anubis hunched over, Riku knocked him on his back, forcing the ninja to drop to the ground. Anubis, irritated by now, slowly staggered to his feet.

"You see." Riku explained. "Because you excel in one type of fighting, you lack in the other. When you were using those long ranged attacks, you were so confident and so comfortable. Not only did you know what to do in such a situation, you also knew that I couldn't retaliate since you were out of my reach. However, now that you're on the ground, and are now engaged in hand to hand combat, you've been racked down to novice. You can't even make a proper punch without me seeing it."

"Don't you dare lecture me, Riku! You don't know what you're talking about!"-

"I know exactly what I'm talking about! You've been so caught up in your battle strengths, you haven't bothered to work on your weaknesses! Because of how you deployed your most powerful attacks, I knew right away that you had perfected them to a point where you could always use them efficiently and effectively. But by perfecting such tactics, you forgot about your true weaknesses. If you had put some time and effort into making yourself resistant to ice, or if you could have practiced more on grappling techniques, you would have grasp of some good knowledge to use when the predicament presented itself."-

"I said shut your mouth!"-

"No! You shut your mouth! Listen to yourself, Anubis! You're making the same mistakes like you did earlier! You're getting impatient! By encountering you, I knew exactly what kind of person you were. Our earlier encounters and this present battle has told me a lot about your personality. You're the type of person who keeps a closed ear to people unless it benefits to you. You're also the type of person who jumps at every advantage and plans his strategy thoroughly. As long as things go the way you planned it, you remain relaxed and confident. However, when things begin to shift against you, or don't go as you planned, you become frustrated and angry. Also, you're a person who wants to get things done in a hurry. One example was the trial we were put in. You seemed to be in a rush when you accused us. But you had been so much in a rush, you didn't even realize you spoke our names for us, instead of you asking us what they were. And that was a mistake that you now wish you hadn't made. Also, in the jail block, when we began to question your intentions, instead of trying to make an excuse to try and defend yourself, you only gave in and tried to rush out. All because it wasn't part of your plan. And now, in this battle, you're experiencing that same pressure. During the period from when you left to when you appeared again, you must have taken the time on how you would make your appearance, what attacks you would use, and how you would deploy them. It was all planned ahead of time. But now that things haven't gone as you planned, you feel helpless. Not knowing what to do next."

"That's enough out of you boy!" roared Anubis, angrily. "Your problem is that you don't know when to shut that pie hole of yours! You think you can just read me like an open book! I, Captain Anubis, am not that easy to predict! I'll make you eat your words!"

"Then get on with it already!"-

Anubis suddenly disappeared in a great ball of fire. Riku took his stance, sword drawn before him. Just then, Anubis appeared, attacking him on the flank. Riku turned to defend himself, but what he saw was only an afterimage. The image disappeared into the air. Again Anubis appeared, but again it emerged as another afterimage.

"Not so easy to predict now! Am I!" chuckled Anubis. Suddenly appearing behind Riku. Riku turned, but it had been too late as Anubis came rushing at him with great ferocity. "Inferno Rush!"

Riku evaded the attack, but the intense flames of fire burned through his vest and white shirt, taking off completely the whole front of his top clothing. Riku's chest was slightly burned, but no real damage was inflicted.

"That was too close for comfort." Riku thought.

"Now, who's been put at the disadvantage!" chuckled Anubis. "I don't hear your lips flapping anymore, kid! I guess you have no wise cracks to make about me now!"

"I have to somehow predict him. If I don't figure out his attack this time, it may be the last time for me." Tearing the tattered vest and shirt from his body, revealing his youthful bosom, Riku closed his eyes and concentrated on the surroundings with the use of his other senses. "I must not allow myself to be fooled by afterimages. I must somehow predict him without seeing his movements with my eyes. I'll use my other senses and see if they detect any vital detail my eyes failed to notice."

"Look at that fool." Anubis laughed inwardly. "How does he expect to stop me when his eyes are closed? Maybe he's just waiting for me to attack head on. Well, not if I can elude him with my afterimages. He may try to detect me by my heat source. That'll work solely to my advantage. He won't be able to detect me when he's surrounded by heat." He looked on as Riku lowered his sword. "Oh well, guess I'll humor him for a while."

Anubis deployed his attack. Despite Riku being completely off guard, Anubis used his after technique to increase the heat around Riku. Yet, despite his efforts, Riku remained in a calm form of meditation.

"Idiot." Anubis snickered. "I'll just attack him. He ain't trying to stop me."

Anubis increased his fiery power and lunged himself at full speed against Riku. But this time, as he lunged, he realized Riku did react this time. Riku suddenly threw out his sword in front of him. The glinting steel aimed to impale him. Anubis saw the point and quickly reacted, stopping his attack. But as he did, Riku continued his attack and fired a spell of Blizzaga straight into his face at point blank range. Anubis attempted to grab the mask that had been frozen solid. The chill burned on his face, but he could not touch the icy surface.

"But...How!" he uttered.

"Simple." Riku explained. "When I closed my eyes, I noticed specific details I left out when I had my eyes open. For instance, when you power up, the flames you accumulate roar a little louder and become hotter. So hot, you don't even have to be near me in order to be detected. That's the one disadvantage about using fire as your specialty. Everyone knows when you'll attack by the intensity of your flames. And unlike the afterimages, who's heat diminishes after so long, your source remains at its highest maximum. Once combining the sound you make with the heat intensity accumulating from your body, I could easily pinpoint where and when you would attack."

But as Riku finished his statement, he realized that the mask Anubis was wearing, because it inhabited an area where extreme cold and heat collided, began to crack. Within seconds, the mask had broken off completely, revealing the true face of the ninja. Riku looked upon a face that was pitch black. Two red eyes, glowing with such ferocity, glared at him.

"You! You!" roared Anubis. "You've seen my face! No one has ever dared to see my face!"

"You say as if that were a bad thing!" said Riku. "You don't look that scary!"

"That's not the point! The point is that no one has ever gotten the best of me in any battle! No one! No one has ever made a fool out of me in battle! Let alone breaking my mask and seeing my true face! You'll pay for that! You'll pay!"

"Your pride has been shattered to bits. The way as it should be."-

"I have no pride! Did I not make that clear to you the last time!"-

"I don't believe you ever meant that. You only said that to avoid fighting me head to head. It was the only excuse you could make so that your pride an honor wouldn't be effected directly. In my opinion, your sense of honor and pride is just as strong as mine." Riku stood upright over Anubis. "I'm satisfied now. Your sense of pride and honor has been broken beyond recognition. For the first time in your life, you have fought and lost to an opponent who is superior to you in every way. And to make matters worse, your opponents just a kid. Right?"

"You're frustrating, Riku! The fact that you lecture me, frustrates me beyond recognition! You act as if I were some sort of novice! Well, I'll show you! I'll show that I'm better than you! I'm better than you!" Anubis's flames had reached their limit and bellowed forth like solar flares. With his burning hatred, the ninja leaped into the air. His body was suddenly engulfed in a sphere of heat and flames. The fire surging in his body grew hotter than the sun. Riku could feel as the fire began to burn the surface of his skin. "I will use the one attack which I failed to display to you before! The ultimate attack in my arsenal! I've dubbed it the name Apocalypse Blast! This is one which you cannot hope to dodge! This attack is what I use to annihilate entire country sides with! Once I make impact with the ground, everything within a fifty mile radius will be vaporized! No one will survive, but me!"

"Damn! He's too high up for me to attack!" Riku thought to himself. "And because of that intense heat, even the Blizzaga spell won't work at this point! But I have to try! Whatever it takes!" Riku formed an Aeroga shield and used the Blizzaga spell to form an icy combination.

"Now meet your end, Riku! And curse the day you ever dared to enter combat with the mighty Captain Anubis of the Cavendish Shinobis!"-

Anubis began his rush against Riku. Riku thrust up his blade up in the air in a guarding position. Using the Blizzaga spell to freeze the blade, he braced for impact against the scorching shinobi. The impact made, when the two met, caused the entire beach area to shake violently. Debris flew into the air, only to be incinerated by the intense heat of Anubis's aura. Riku held his position with every ounce of strength in his body. However, despite his efforts, he slowly began to lose ground. The heat began to melt through the protective barrier.

"Face it, Riku!" shouted Anubis. "Your chances of victory have been severed! I have the force of gravity on my side and my aura burns hotter than the sun! You will be vaporized by my flames! Along with everything else throughout Aube!"

"And it's because of that reason why I can't afford to fail!" cried Riku.

"You will fail! You will die! And all will be burned! Ash and smoke blown the way of the wind!"-

Riku staggered as the pressure continued to mount against him. He fell to his knees, but still he held off the heat. The heat began to burn his skin, but still Riku held on, increasing the Blizzaga spell with every passing second.

"I can't afford to die here!" Riku thought. "Sora and the others are waiting for me to return! They're counting on me to stay alive! I gave them my word!" Riku slowly stood, fighting off the intense heat and the immense gravity. "I can't give up now, when there's still so far to go! I won't give up!" Riku began to form ice energy at the palms of his hands. With all his might he deployed the one attack given to him by Isis. "Iceberg Shuriken!"

From his palms, a great blast of ice bellowed forth. Heat and cold clashed as the two continued their stand off. The imbalance of energy had become so great, that the auras of the two fighters caused a rupture in the atmosphere. Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted and the two were blown back by their own attacks. Riku and Anubis skidded across the sands of the beach. Riku fell into the shallow water, nearly drowning. However, he managed to turn on his back, the waves crashed around him. Anubis on the other hand, slowly staggered to his feet. He had wasted a great deal of his energy.

"Damn that boy! Damn him!" Anubis uttered. "He almost caused me to lose my life! Well, I'll make sure he feels the full extent of my retribution!" Anubis slowly walked to where Riku lay. He soon noticed the youth's blade laying upon the sand. Picking it up, the shinobi continued to tread down the beach towards the exhausted key bearer. Riku tried to lift himself up, but he did not have enough strength to even lift his arms off the ground.

"My body." he uttered to himself. "Heavy. So heavy. I used up too much of my energy for that stand off. Now, I don't even have enough strength to lift my head."

Anubis soon found himself standing over the youth. With his strong right hand, he gripped Riku by the throat. Picking him up, Anubis held the key bearer in a strangle hold. He then raised the sword over his head. The sword glimmered in the sun.

"Well, this has been more enjoyable than I had expected earlier." Anubis chuckled. "You were the first one to ever inflict such collateral damage on me like this. But in the end, you ended up suffering the same fate as all the rest before you." Anubis held the blade ever higher. "But don't worry. You won't be alone for long. I'll make sure that Sora and the rest of your friends arrive in hell soon enough to keep you company. Came so far, only to fail against me. Even your strong heart was no match for my belligerent nature. Without the will to kill another, you will surely perish."

Anubis struck down at Riku. But without warning, Riku suddenly thrust his hands in front of him, opened towards the ninja.

"Iceberg Shuriken!" he cried. From his hands, powerful ice energy blasted out, hitting Anubis, point blank. Anubis could not react in time. Releasing both Riku and the sword, he froze instantly in the position he was in.

"No!" cried Anubis. "It...cannot...be...!" Within seconds, Anubis was frozen to death, the ice covering him completely. Riku stood up and picked his sword. He then stood before the shinobi.

"Unlike you, I can't afford to die just yet when my task is far from over." Riku said. "You had an obligation to kill. I had an obligation to protect. And the obligation to protect is the strongest sense of justice anyone can stand for. And now..." Riku held the sword over his head. "Your life as a ninja has ended. And so has your life as an individual." Riku slashed his sword through the ice, cutting the body of Anubis in half. The body suddenly incinerated into the atmosphere, leaving no trace of the former shinobi. Riku fell to the ground, exhausted. As he sat there, he felt a surge of energy enter his body. He had learned a new technique. The Cinder Canister. Riku took out the Senzu bean from his pocket.

"Well, Sora." he uttered, eating the bean and regaining his strength. "I guess I was able to fulfill my promise to you after all."

Victory had been achieved by Riku and anther member of the Cavendish Shinobis had fallen. However, the fight in space continued to escalate. The Imperial fleet had managed to fend off and destroy much of the attacking enemy. ZAFT and Earth now fought side by side against the powerful destroyers. But these city sized battleships proved to be impenetrable. Because of the immense size and precise defense system, they were virtually unapproachable. To make matters worse, the mobile dolls were now being deployed in swarms. The average mobile suit and average Ginn were no match for the computer controlled mobile dolls.

The Archangel met the center of the fray, being attacked my dolls from every direction. Mwu, Cagalli, and the other Archangel defenders continued their fight with great valiance. They lost one mobile suit after another, but still they continued to fight. The Archangel's Gottfried and Valiant cannons continued to bellow, hitting several enemy suits in the process. They could only watch as ZAFT and Earth carriers fell victim to both enemy fire and the mobile dolls.

"Damn! How many of these mobile dolls do they have?" said Mwu.

"Without a doubt, due to the large size of those Imperial destroyers, there could be an endless amount of them! And since each doll is equally matched to both Natural and Coordinator, it takes only one of those stupid machines to shoot down how many of our troops!"-

"Any word from Kira and Athrun!"-

"Nothing since they began their second run!"-

"What about Sora and the others!"-

"Not since they made contact with the grand destroyer!"-

"I sure hope they're alright! It would really suck if they didn't make it!"-

"Well, if they didn't then we really are in trouble! Both sides have already suffered over fifty percent casualties!"-

"I'm afraid to admit it, Cagalli, but I think we're licked!"-

"Don't speak that way!" shouted Captain Ramius. "We still have a fighting chance! If we give up now, we might as well wait for the end to come anyway! But if we continue to fight, there's still a chance we'll survive this!"-

"I guess your right." chuckled Mwu. "It would be rather pointless to do all this fighting, only to suffer defeat in the end."

On the ZAFT front, Kira and Athrun, once again joining the front line with their mobile suits newly repaired, joined Yzak and the others in the fight against the mobile dolls. The battle had intensified as the dolls and the destroyers began their run against the PLANT colonies. They could only watch helplessly, as one colony fell one after the other. Ginns swarming around the massive destroyers could do little damage. Like gnats irritating a bull, the Ginns, along with their Earth, mobile suit, counterparts could barely scratch the surface of the enemy vessels. The defense was so intense that many mobile suits fell before the onslaught. Ginns, desperately trying to hold back the Imperial attack on the colonies, were destroyed squadron by squadron before the doll attack.

"The colonies!" cried Athrun. "We have to save the colonies!"

"We can't!" replied Kira. "We've barely managed to stay alive, working as a team! If we split up now, that'll limit our success of defending the line and increasing our chances of being killed!"

"Damn!"-

"What do you suggest we do!" asked Yzak.

"If we want to prevent any real damage, we'll have to aid the areas most likely of breaking!"-

"Then let's do that!" said Dearka.

"But the areas prone to a critical blow are around the colonies." Rau Le Creuset. "We could try and help them, but that would mean we would end up wasting a lot of fuel and energy just to accelerate to aid that area! By the time we get there, we would have wasted at least 50 percent of our energy!"

"Then let Athrun and I aid the colony area!" Kira suggested. "We've been recently refueled, so we'll last longer than the rest of you!"

"But what if..." said Dearka.

"There's no real choice in the matter." said Athrun. "If we don't act now, more people will die."

"Very well then." said Rau. "Well, be on your way before it's too late."

"Right." Athrun turned to Kira. "Let's go, Kira!"

"Yeah!" Kira responded. The two mobile suits went on their way.

"Come back to us alive!" said Yzak.

"Don't worry about it!" chuckled Lowe. "If I know those two, they could fly to hell and back if they wanted to and they'd still come back without a scratch!"

"I'll never understand Naturals." sighed Gai.

"And that's what's so beautiful about Natural thought! We're so unpredictable!"-

"I'll say!"-

Kira and Athrun continued on their way to save the colonies. As they gazed back, they worried about the safety of their comrades in arms.

"You think they'll be alright, fighting without us?" asked Kira. "By losing our assistance, they've lost a strong asset to their defense."

"Don't worry about it, Kira." Athrun replied. "If I know those guys of the Le Creuset team, they're not the type to give up, let alone die so easily."

"I only hope that Sora and the others made it safe onto that grand destroyer."-

"You and me both. If they succeed, the dolls will cease to function and the tide of battle would have turned in our favor. Then, we could use the bulk of both the ZAFT and Earth military to stop those destroyers."-

"Then, we would have successfully saved our world." Kira looked back to where the grand destroyer lay. Flashes of light appeared and vanished around it, indicating that the battle had intensified within that perimeter. "Sora. I sure hope you made it. You may be our only hope left."

Meanwhile, within the grand destroyer, Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, ran about the millions of corridors and halls. It seemed as if there was no sign of the doll center command.

"We better find out where that stupid source of power is!" said Sora. "We're deep enough in hot water as it is!"

"If it wasn't for the Dark Empire interfering, by sending in their fleet, we could have been out of this world long ago!"

"Well, there was no way that we could have predicted that they'd be here!" said Mickey.

"The best course of action is to just keep searching for that central command!" said Sora. "I don't know why, but I feel as if I know my way around!"

"You do!" said Donald. "Well, then lead us in the right direction already!"

"How can that be possible?" asked Mickey. "How do you know where we're going?"-

"I don't know," Sora uttered, "but my heart keeps pulling me in this certain direction. As if it's looking for something, or someone. I don't know much about it, but I feel as if there's a certain someone I'm trying to track down."

"Who?"-

"I don't know. I just know I'm looking for that certain someone. It's the feeling of a presence which I've sensed before. I think it may be the same guy I encountered on Destiny Island and in Traverse Town."-

"An Imperial?"-

"I guess. I never saw the guys face on Destiny Island. And out of all the Imperial faces I saw at Traverse Town, it could be any one of those guys. That same presence was there when Kairi was captured. How could I ever forget it. I was so scared. And now his aura calls to me. As if he's beckoning me to find him "-

"So your heart is guiding you where he is?" asked Goofy.

"Yes. He's urging me to find him. Perhaps, if I find this guy, he'll tell me where Kairi is."-

"Then, let your heart guide you, Sora." said Mickey. "We'll be behind you all the way."

Meanwhile, within the main control room, General Ameba and his men continued to track Sora down on the radar.

"I don't believe it!" Ameba said. "Sora and his friends are able to find their way through the ship! But how! They have no knowledge of the ships format and characteristics! How could they possibly be able to direct their way!"

"Sir!" cried one of the attendants. "They're working their way to the central area! If they keep this up, they'll have access the bridge, the dolls power source, and the officer's quarters!"

"Where are our troops! Why haven't they stopped these intruders yet!"-

"General Ameba!" shouted another operative. "Our troops haven't been able to track them down! They're wandering about throughout the ship!"-

"Incompetence! Incompetence! They can't even find their way around their own ship!"-

"General Ameba!" one of the officers transmitted through the loud speaker. "We still haven't found them, Sir! They've somehow managed to remain undetected by our troops! They're moving about the ship in a random pattern!"

"Of course they're moving around!" roared Ameba. "What did you expect them to do! Sit down and pose for you! If you had bothered to contact me first, you would have known that they're on their way to the central area! So stop your dawdling and get after them!"

"Yes, Sir!" The transmission ended soon after, but Ameba wasn't going to take any chances.

"Captain! Take command!" Ameba ordered. "I'm going to stop these fools from taking out the vital areas of this ship! If I want something done, I have to do it myself!"

As Sora and the others continued on their way, they encountered several troops of the Imperial fleet, who no sooner took pursuit of them. Before long, the team found themselves before a long corridor, slightly larger than the first ones they ran through before. While running, Sora realized there was a large blockade door which was easily accessible from either side.

"A blockade door!" he cried. "Close it behind us as soon as you can!"

"I'll take care of that!" Donald replied. Deploying his magician's staff, he fired a blast of the Blizzaga spell, activating the massive door. The door shut close behind them within seconds, cutting the Imperials off the pursuit. "Takes care of that!"

"Not quite!" said Sora. Unsheathing his sword, he cut the control panel in half. Sparks flew along with bits of metal.

"And to add a little spice!" chuckled Mickey. He used his key blade to cast a Graviga spell, further sealing the door. "That ought to do it!"

"Not quite!" said Donald. He deployed his staff again activated Aeroga, creating a strong wind barrier to help deflect any chance of trying to break down the door. "Now, we can go!"

The three continued running down the corridor, leaving the Imperials, in pursuit, behind to deal with the door.

"Blast!" shouted the commander of the pursuing Imperials. "They got away! You men, get working on this door!"

"Sir!" hollered one soldier. "We can't get anywhere near the door! They protected it with some sort of wind barrier!"

"Damn! And we can't use our blasters effectively in here without causing severe damage within the ship! Well, do what you can! Find another access way into the central area!"-

"But this is the only way, Sir!"-

"Crawl through the ventilation system then! Just get in there somehow!"-

"Sir!"-

Sora and his friends reached the end of the hall, making there way to, they realized the corridor now divided into two separate halls.

"Oh dear." said Mickey. "This possess a problem."

"Which way do we go, Sora?" asked Donald.

"We go this way." said Sora, pointing to the left corridor. "My heart tells me it's this way."

"But what about the other way?" asked Goofy.

"Sora knows what he's talking about." said Donald. "His heart has guided us in this far!"

"I know, but what about that thing down the other corridor!" Goofy pointed down the right passage. In the distance, they observed a massive generator accumulating electrical currents within it. "Do you think that's the source for them thar mobile dolls flying around outside!"

"What do you think, Sora?" asked Mickey. "The room looks large enough."

"But I have this nagging feeling saying that we should go left." Sora explained.

"But what if that is the source of power?"-

"There's only one way to know. We'll have to split up."-

"Split up?" asked Donald.

"But why?" added Mickey. "That could be the very source of power for those mobile dolls."

"I know that." said Sora. "But something tells me to go down this passage way. For some strange reason, my heart is urging me on to continue down the left corridor. That's why it's best that we split up. Mickey, you and the others go down the right corridor and destroy that generator. Destroying it may either cease the functioning of the mobile dolls, or may disable the grand destroyer in a way. Either way, it'll cause the Imperial fleet to lose face."

"But what do you suppose is down that corridor?" asked Goofy. Looking down the dimly lit corridor laying to the left.

"Are you kidding?" said Donald. "It has death written all over it!"

"That may be so," Sora uttered, "but I must go that way. My heart tells me I have to."

"But Sora." said Mickey.

"Don't worry about it, your Majesty. I'll be fine. I have my heart to protect me. Your only main focus is to destroy that generator." Sora turned and ran down the left hall, into the shadows beyond.

"Sora!" shouted Donald. "Come back, Sora!"

"Leave him be, Donald." said Mickey.

"But your Majesty."-

"We have a mission to fulfill. To stop those dolls and save this world."-

"Then, let's go!" chuckled Goofy. The three ran down the corridor. But as they began to near the open area, nine turret guns suddenly appeared and began firing lasers at them.

"Deploy shields!" Mickey ordered. They deployed Aeroga shields, but the lasers managed to pierce through their defense.

"Aeroga's too weak!" said Donald.

"Everyone, behind Goofy's shield!" The three took refuge behind Goofy. "Well, that settles it! Whatever that thing is, it must be of great importance to the Empire if they have it so well defended! OK Goofy, let's keep going! Walk slowly down the corridor! And make sure not to leave the safety of the shield!" The three continued their way down the corridor, but as they neared the entry, they realized that the laser grew more intense with every step they made. Soon dents began to form on Goofy's shield.

"We can't keep going like this!" said Goofy. "The shield won't last!"

"We have to find some way to get passed that security somehow!" said Mickey.

"Leave that to me!" shouted Donald. Leaping up for a second, he took good aim and fired a blast with the Blizzaga spell. However, not only did the ice shards not reach their intended target, they were also shot down by well aimed beams. "Can you believe that!"

"Not a single shot wasted! They all hit their intended target!"-

"That's not good then! We're stuck!"-

"Well, we have to think of something! We can't let this thing get the best of us!"-

"Gawrsh!" said Goofy. "They're really slugging it out!"

"We have to figure something out!" said Mickey. "We can't croak over yet!"

At the same time, within the depths of the grand destroyer, stationed in his quarters, Lord Arakis observed the outside battle against the Imperial mobile dolls. He watched as Coordinators and Naturals fell like flies before the might of the fleet and the dolls.

"Such gallantry these Naturals and Coordinators display before me." Arakis uttered. "Despite the odds, they continue to fight, even to the last man. Even when they know there's no hope. They fight for their homes and firesides. Amazing to gaze upon the irony of the situation. Only a few months ago, both sides were aggressively attacking on another. But now that they face a common enemy, they have rallied together as allies to stop this one great threat. Perhaps, if they succeed, they will realize the common bond to which both Coordinator and Natural hold. And as a result, an everlasting peace. Only through such devastation can they fully realize each others worth." Arakis took another sip of his tea. "Let us see if they are willing to fight and die for the sake of their world, and their world alone."

"Your Excellency!" shouted the Captain. "We have a major crisis! Sora and his friends have managed to enter the area where the main generator for the mobile dolls, the destroyer bridge, and the officer's quarters are! You are in danger my lord!"

"So are you, Captain. But unlike you, I can easily take care of myself."-

"We've sealed off the bridge doors! Please, seek refuge, my lord!"-

"I told you that will not be necessary." Arakis continued to sip his tea. "By the way, where is General Ameba?"

"He's gone to stop their advance to the bridge, my lord. He's waiting for their arrival, in the second observatory as we speak."-

"Very well. Thank you for informing me." Ending transmission, Arakis stood up and latched on his sword. "Time for me to decide his fate."

At that very moment, Sora had reached the second observatory. The room was large, constructed in a round, cylinder type fashion. There were a few antique archives in it and a few activated monitor screens. The room itself was poorly lit. The lights were wade so dim, the appearance within the room seemed almost dark. The only true source of light was the light emanating from the doorway. From the door way, he could see two other corridor openings. Each separated apart by a perfect forty-five degree angle. Sora's heart still beat hard, urging him to enter the room and enter a specific corridor. He rushed in and headed towards the right corridor entry way.

"That must be where that energy is resonating." Sora thought. "I better hurry."

But as Sora reached for the door, the door itself suddenly closed, preventing him from entering. He turned to exit, but the two remaining doors closed shut as well. The room turned dark as the dim lights and monitors shut off. Sora was left in the dark. Suddenly, a lone light from above illuminated the space in and around him. Sora was slightly blinded, gazing hard into the darkness that lay behind the bright light.

"Greetings." a voice uttered from the darkness.

"Who's there!" shouted Sora, reaching for his sword. "Show yourself!"

"Quite the little warrior aren't you?" The voice continued, waving about in the dark. "The one thing I hate more than a hero, is a young hero who's too cocky for his own good."

At that moment, another light illuminated the observatory. Sora looked, with his sword still unsheathed, to see a solitary individual, in a grey coat, standing before him. Under the coat, he wore a green, shin lengthen frock, and a frilled neckerchief. His sword and scabbard hung down at his side by a black shoulder strap. Sora immediately remembered the face of the one who stood before him.

"I know you." he said. "I saw you at Traverse Town. You're one of those high Imperial officers."

"That is correct." said the individual. "I am General Ameba. The leader of this so called mission. And to tell you the truth, I'm rather irritated about the fact that you and your friends have decided to interfere with my plans."

"We had no other choice! You were attacking these people!"-

"Silence, boy! I will not have you speak unless I give you permission to speak!" Sora sneered at this loud general standing before him. Never allowing himself to drop his guard, he kept his sword within easy access. "Frankly, you have interfered long enough and I am sick of it! First, you urge Aube to continue fighting. As a result, instead of surrendering themselves, they've decided to engage themselves in space to try and face us! Because of that, their representatives managed to make contact with Earth and ZAFT, uniting them. And all because of your damned influence within the organization. Now, you dare go so far as to penetrate through the grand destroyer and destroy the very center of power for the mobile dolls! Well, I can tell you here and now that you'll never succeed! You'll never get beyond this point!" Ameba turned on an air projected monitor which almost filled the room. On the screen, the images of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy displayed themselves. They were still under constant fire by the laser guns, which still guarded the corridor.

"Mickey! Donald! Goofy!" cried Sora.

"As you can see, they did happen to stumble onto the very source of power which activates the mobile dolls! Had you not decided to split up, you could have been there to help them! But you had to follow your heart! And as a result, your friends have been pinned down in the corridor, with nowhere to run! And to make matters worse for you!" Ameba turned on another screen. Before them, they saw the pursuing Imperial slowly breaking through the blockade door. "Soon, my troops will break through that barrier and attack your friends from behind! Perhaps, if you had decided to stay with them, you could have helped save them. But now, it's too late."

"That's where you're wrong!" said Sora. "Even if I had stayed with them, it wouldn't have made any difference! Instead, I would have been placed in the same predicament as they! But splitting up was advantageous! We could cover more ground that way!"

"Which is why this is the result! I told you that the corridor, which your friends are entrapped in, is the one way and only way that leads to the mobile doll generator! But the security is too tough, they'll never get within a hundred yards of that generator! The laser guns are too well accurate! There's no way to dodge them! It's over for them and it's over for you! You may have progressed this far, but no further will you go!"-

"I don't think so! If I know my friends, they won't allow themselves to be beaten by those lasers so easily! And If I know myself, I won't allow myself to be beaten so easily! Especially by the likes of you!"-

"Don't you dare condescend to me! You are no match for my skills!" Ameba drew his sword. "You have caused quite a blunder of your operations! First, splitting up, allowing your friends to die miserably! Then following your instincts to a dead end, when your true objective lay behind you! And now you do battle with the leader of the former Midnight Organization of the Dark Empire, only to die alone and far from where any or your friends can help you! You should know full well that you don't stand a chance against a professional soldier!"

"Although I may be alone, my heart still throbs with the will of my friends! And because of that, if we don't forget each other, if we put the utmost faith in each other, then our hearts will be one! Their strengths will never die!"-

"Wake up, Sora! You've been dwelling in a dream land! You must realize that you're not fighting the Heartless anymore! Therefore, those specific philosophies regarding the heart's strength doesn't apply to this particular scenario! You must face the harsh truth between what is mere idealism and the reality of this world! Your heart might be strong, but let's see how strong you think it is when I pull my saber out of your chest!"-

"It isn't mere idealism!"-

"Enough! Actions speak louder than words! So stand and defend yourself! I won't be holding back on you, key bearer! So be ready to accept your death!"-

Ameba charged Sora with his saber above his head. Sora quickly drew out his sword and blocked the overhead slash. Ameba side slashed to the right, but Sora blocked the second attempt. Ameba lunged with his heavy saber, hoping to stab Sora. But every time, the young key bearer evaded each strike. Again and again, the general took the sword and always went on the offensive.

"You can never match my skills, boy!" chuckled Ameba. "You continuously hold back, wondering how to strike me without killing me! That's the one disadvantage between the two of us! You've never developed an urge to kill! And that's what makes your weak!"

"No! I put more value in life than you ever could!" shouted Sora. "I don't want to kill you!"

"Then, that'll prove to be a fatal mistake! To defy the law of nature! You must kill, or be killed!"-

"But I don't engage in merciless bloodshed like you! I can see it in your eyes! You enjoy the sight of blood and suffering!"-

"That is the only way to assure success! To be aggressive and dominant over all! Whether they be soldiers, or civilians! Only through a sense of fear can things truly be accomplished!"-

"But a person who only thinks in such a way would only find limitations in their philosophies! Sooner, or later, you will encounter a predicament where you will be the one wishing for mercy! But because of the reputation you hold, there will be a slim chance that anyone would show you mercy!"-

"That will never happen to me! I'm too strong!" The battle continued for a good five minutes, or so.

"Sooner, or later you will meet your match!" said Sora. "Sooner, or later you will meet your end!"

"But not here and not against you!" chuckled Ameba. "You're too soft to kill me! But why! You seemed to be doing well against those swordsmen back in Traverse Town!"-

"I didn't have a choice! They wouldn't have listened to me!"-

"And why not!"-

"Because they were clones! They only knew how to act and think in a certain way!"-

"But were they still not living things like me, Sora! Did they not breathe and bleed like you and I!"-

"I...I...!"-

"You see! Now, you regret ever taking their lives!"-

"But I never meant to kill them! It was either kill, or die!"-

"Then what makes me so different!"-

"I may have killed those swordsmen back in Traverse Town, but I never did it for malice, glory, or fun! I didn't want to kill them! I wished not even to hurt them because deep down, I knew their hearts beat like mine does now! The same with the Heartless before them! I wished not to kill without regret! They might have been just Heartless, but they were still living things, built from some sort of essence which gave them life! That is why I never kill for the pleasure! So, do you think I can kill you so easily without a second thought! If I lose that sense to cherish life and the lives of others, then I would lose the true meaning of what if means to fight and protect! I'd become no different from you!" Sora placed his sword at the ready. "However, I know that if I don't stop you, then the suffering of this world will continue! You have lost all sense of life's value! That is why I can't allow you to have your way! I see that now!"-

"Then, don't hold back!" Ameba lunged forward. Sora did the same. In an instant, metal touched metal in a bright flash of light. The two suddenly appeared, facing opposite each other. Sora's jacket and shirt suddenly split at the shoulder, revealing his tender skin. Ameba had managed to slash through the clothing, but caused no blood to spill. However, as Ameba observed, this saber suddenly cracked, and the blade broke from the hilt.

"Impossible!" Ameba said to himself. "That boy managed to break my saber in two! But how! He couldn't be that strong can he!" Ameba looked to see the sword Sora used against him. With the familiar imprint on the hilt, he knew right away what it was that caused his saber to be cut in two so easily. "The Imperial katana! But that blade is made only for the top lords of the Empire and no one else! How did that boy manage to get his hand one of those!"

Sora quickly sheathed his sword.

"This fight is over." he said.

"No it's not!" shouted Ameba. "It's far from over! Just because you deprived me of my weapon doesn't mean that I have others! If I can't defeat you with a blade, I'll just destroy you with my own strength!" Ameba began to power up. But his chance to display his true strength was interrupted by an incoming transmission.

"That is enough." said a voice. "You've done well enough, General Ameba." The overhead screen activated a visual transmission. And there, before the two combatants, the form of Lord Arakis appeared. His face was covered by shadow, so identity was impossible. However Ameba knew exactly who it was.

"Your Excellency!" said Ameba.

"Stand down for now, Ameba. Let the boy continue on his way." Arakis stated.

"But, my lord..."-

"Sora. I must admit, I'm stunned to see that you've made it this far, my friend. How about challenging me in a duel."-

"My lord!" Ameba protested. "This is the most unorthodox decision you could make!"

"It's fine, General." Arakis uttered. "So what do you say, Sora. Will you duel with me?"

"Why should I?" asked Sora.

"I could make it worth your while."-

"And how could you possibly make it worth my while? I still have someone I need to find on this ship and I have no time to accept duels. And unfortunately, General Ameba is not who I'm looking for."-

"I can tell you where to locate what you're looking for. And I'm sure she'd be very happy to here that you'll be rescuing her earlier than expected." Immediately, Sora's attention was drawn.

"Are you talking about Kairi?"-

"Princess Kairi of Hollow Bastion? Yes, I am."-

"Tell me! Where is she! You better not have hurt her, or I'll...!"-

"Don't fret over the matter, my boy. She has been treated like an honored guest. If you wish to speak about it more, enter through there." Suddenly, the door to the right reopened. "Just follow your heart though the corridor. If your heart is as strong as you have claimed it to be, then you will find whom you're looking for."

"Then, you must be the one responsible for kidnapping Kairi! You just wait! I'll be there soon! And then you'll pay for what you've done!"-

"I look forward to it, Sora."-

Sora ran through the door and down the corridor.

"My lord! This is uncalled for!" shouted Ameba. "Why are you giving this boy so much leverage!"-

"Calm down, Ameba. And return to you station." Arakis said. "Sora is determined to find Kairi and that's what he'll do. Once he finds Kairi, they go home, and we're left with our business."

"But my lord...!"-

"Calm down. Whether we kill him ,or he goes home, he still leaves us alone am I right? He only treks for Kairi. Nothing else."-

"I understand." As the transmission ended, General Ameba was left standing in the dark. "You put too much pleasure in this situation." He straightened his coat. "There's nothing to fear though. Arakis's strength surpasses Sora's by far. So the boy won't last very long. As well, Mickey and his two subjects will never get passed my security system. So, I'll just retake my position on the bridge." Ameba walked out of the observatory, leaving his sword and scabbard scattered on the floor.

At the same time, Sora was running down the corridor, reaching for the end of the hall. At the same time, the loud speaker in that particular corridor continued to ring.

"Listen carefully to what I have to say." Arakis explained. "There's a catch to this duel I've set up between us?"

"And what might that be!"-

"If you win, then I will tell you where your friend, Kairi is being held."-

"But if I lose?"-

"If you lose. Well, my friend, you will just have to continue with tracking down the seven members of the Cavendish Shinobis."-

"In that case, I can't afford to lose!" Sora soon spotted two large doors at the end of the hall. "That must be where he is!"

Sora opened the doors and walked into the room. The room was vast and dark. The few lights which gleamed within it provided a clue that this room was used for assembly of troops and officers. On the podium area, Sora saw a lone individual in black, standing before him. It was none other than Lord Arakis.

"So you must be the guy!" shouted Sora.

"Welcome, key bearer." said Arakis.

"Enough of your talk! I've come here to battle you!" Sora used his super glide and flew over to where Arakis awaited him. The Death Lord, armed with a straight sword, tapped the flat side of the sharpened blade on the fingertips of his white gloves. "My name is Sora!"

"I am Lord Draco Arakis." said the dark lord. He placed his blade before him. Sora unsheathed his sword and lunged forward. However, Arakis blocked the attack. Sora again struck and again the dark lord blocked the effort. The two continued to fight with such strength and spirit. But finally, Sora dodge rolled leaped into the air and delivered the final blow. But in a strange twist of fate, Arakis only evaded with a sudden twist to left. Sora's blow flee harmlessly to the floor. The death lord turned and again, facing Sora and swerved the sharpened blade against Sora's throat. Sora couldn't believe it. He had lost before the battle even started. He gazed up, looking into the eyes of his enemy.

"The duel is mine." Arakis uttered. He forced the blade upward, causing Sora to rise to his feet.

"You bastard." Sora uttered. Arakis smiled and drew the blade harmlessly away from his throat.

"It was a good fight."-

"If you don't stop me now, I'll keep coming for you, Arakis!"-

"That sounds interesting. Perhaps we can battle again." Arakis sheathed his sword and began to walk out of the assembly hall.

"Wait! This fight isn't over!" Sora shouted, picking up his sword. "Fight me, Arakis! Fight me!"

"It was over the minute my blade touched your jugular. Had I been in a killing mood, you would be dead right now."-

"But you still haven't beat me. I still have plenty of energy to waste."-

"Then, waste it some other time. But not now."-

"You told me that you'd tell me where Kairi is if I beat you in a duel! Well, the last time I checked, I was still alive!"-

"Then, that allows you to live and fight another day!"-

"I said hold it, Arakis!" Running at Arakis, Sora drew his sword and stood before the lord. "You think you can just make a promise like that and then walk away! Putting some sort of price on one's life! That's sick!"-

"I'm starting to grow agitated with you bickering, Sora." said Arakis. He continued to walk out the door, but Sora still held his ground. Pointing the sword straight at the Death Lord's throat, he stood ready to thrust.

"Then, tell me!" Sora shouted. "Why won't you fight me!"

"Three reasons why, my friend." Arakis extended his fingers in chronological order, while explaining the situation to Sora. "One, I have only been using a fraction of my true strength. By fighting at your present level, not only would it be a challenge for you, but for me as well. If I had decided to take this battle seriously, you wouldn't have stood a chance against me. Two, even if you did manage to kill me, you wouldn't have gained any further advantage, since I am the only one who knows where your friend, Kairi is. So, if you slay me, then you'll never know the precise area of where your friend is being held. And three, I don't want to kill you knowing the debt I will have to repay that young girl when I tell her that you died in battle. I've seen the look in her eyes when she talks about you specifically. Her teary eyes tells me that she doesn't want anything bad to happen to you. And how could I break such a young girl's heart. She would be utterly devastated by your loss. So, I recommend that you stand down for the time being." Sora lowered his sword and Arakis continued to walk by, not giving a second glance. As he walked out the door, he turned his head, but never looked back. "Just to let you know, I want you to keep the goal of our duel a secret to your other friends."

"But why?" asked Sora.

"If your friend, Riku were to find out that you had gambled in a duel, in exchange for Kairi's whereabouts and lost, he would lose all respect for you. Thinking you as incompetent, unreliable, and weak. And I'm sure the last thing you want is for a rift to rebuild itself between you two again. So, it's best to keep the matter a secret." Arakis walked out of the door and down the hall. "Your friends probably need help now. I would recommend helping them for the time being."

"Wait!" cried Sora. He ran into the hall. "Why are you doing this for me! Why are you letting me go!"

"Because I think you can do better. I believe that you can achieve more than what you already have." Arakis disappeared into the darkness of the hall. "We have a rematch, Sora. So until then, I expect you to stay alive."

"A rematch, eh?" Sora was left standing in the still quiet of the hall. "What is it that you're planning?" He looked down at his feet. Gripping his sword, he placed it back into the sheath and ran down the hall. "Arakis can wait. Right now, I have friends to help."

On the battlefield of space, things grew darker for the ZAFT and Earth forces. The gundams had by now run low on fuel and were inflicted with heavy damage. They watched as the dolls slowly regained ground.

"Damn these mobile dolls!" said Kira. "They've pounded us beyond recognition!"

"We can't give up yet, Kira!" Athrun replied. "If we give up now, we lose everything!"

"Face it, Athrun!" shouted Yzak. "Even we, being Coordinators, haven't made a dent in their defense! Even with the combined forces of Earth and ZAFT, we still are no match for those mobile dolls!"

"But even if we don't stand a chance," said Kira, "even if it all seems hopeless for us, we can't surrender to these tyrants! If we must die, we die fighting!"

"Let's face the reality, Kira! This battle was doomed the minute we lost control of the first defensive line! Now, we lost the GENESIS, we've lost our resource satellite, and now the colonies are under constant threat! When will it be enough!"-

"When we're all dead!" shouted Athrun, angrily. "If you want to run now and be killed later, if you want to be oppressed by the Empire, then go and get out of our sight! But leave the fighting to the real men!"

"How dare you!"-

"How dare you! You think you can just escape from this fight saying that you've had enough! Well, tell that to our fellow Coordinators who have died defending their homes! Tell that to those comrades of ours who have lost their lives in the past! Tell the loved ones left behind who have lost someone in this conflict! You can tell them that you were to scared to confront your fears and keep going!"

"I'll show you, Athrun! I'll show you what I can do! And You'll regret ever saying that!"-

Yzak, with great fury, clashed into the bulk of the mobile dolls.

"How did you know that would work?" asked Kira.

"Reverse Psychology." chuckled Athrun. "It always works when your pride's on the line. And to someone who is as prone to honor being breeched as much as Yzak, he definitely takes it personally."

Sora reached his friends in the hallway. Seeing that they had been pinned down, he dodge rolled as best he could, evading each laser. But as he reached his friends, Sora realized that it had become more difficult to out dodge the lasers.

"Glad to see you made it." said Mickey.

"What happened?" asked Donald.

"I ended up fighting the leader of the fleet." Sora replied.

"Did you win?"-

"More, or less."-

"But what will we do now?" asked Goofy. "We can't go any further."

Sora looked about at the effects of the lasers. He then had an idea run through his head.

"I have an idea." Sora said. "Donald, how much ether do we have?"

"Well, we have two ether vials," Donald explained, "one mega-ether, and one elixir."

"That's good enough."-

"What do you plan on doing?" asked Mickey.

"This is the plan." Sora began. "I will use the Tundra Canister as a decoy. Without a doubt, those laser turrets will aim and shoot at those ice shards. With the first volley, I want Donald to cover Goofy's shield with a Blizzaga spell, to help reinforce the shield's strength. We have about fifty yards to cover before we're in striking range of those turrets. Therefore, I will fire one volley of Tundra Canister within every five seconds. We should be able to cover at least ten yards or so within ten seconds, if we take our time. Once we're in striking range. I want Donald to shoot Blizzaga and freeze their functioning capability. Then, I will deliver the final blow."

"Amazing." said Donald. "How did you plan that out?"

"By analyzing the capabilities of those laser turrets." Sora took his position behind Goofy. "Alright! Let's go!"

He jumped up and deployed Tundra Canister. The block of ice hit the ground and exploded into hundreds of smaller shards. Immediately, the laser turrets turned their attention towards the incoming shards. At the same time, Donald blew Blizzaga into the front of Goofy's shield, increasing the strength of the defense. They, Sora and the others began their advance. As soon as the turrets shot all advancing shards, they concentrated their fire on the KH team again. The ice was slowly chipped off a little at a time, allowing the KH team to advance more. However, as the group grew closer, the lasers became more intense and soon the shield's icy defense was shattered to bits. But again, as the last icy layer was being chipped away, Sora again jumped up and released a second volley of Tundra Canister. Donald doubled the shield's defense this time and they continued to advance.

"Wow!" said Goofy. "We covered at least forty yards!"

"Alright!" shouted Sora. "Donald! Get ready!"

"Right!" Donald replied.

Sora leaped up and released the Tundra Canister. The block exploded and shards scattered before the turrets. Once the turrets turned their attention towards the incoming shards, Donald took aim behind Goofy's shield and released Blizzaga. Freezing several turrets. All three on the left side of the hall and two on top.

"That's five down!" said Donald. "Four to go!"

Sora quickly unsheathed his sword and destroyed each of the frozen turrets. He quickly sheathed his sword and hid behind the shield. The turrets once again, after destroying the stray shards, put their attentions on the KH party. But again Sora managed to fired one last volley with the Tundra Canister. The shards immediately caught the attention of the turrets and the lasers blasted about, destroying them all. Donald leaped up and froze the remaining turrets. Sora then used his sword to destroy the remaining turrets. However, one of the turrets was prematurely frozen. It broke from its icy tomb and began shooting at Sora. The moment Sora destroyed the other three, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. One of the lasers had struck him, burning through his leather jacket.

"Sora!" cried Mickey. He leaped up and cut the last remaining turret in half before it could inflict any further damage. Mickey landed on the ground and he and the others ran to Sora's side. Sora sat up, grasping his shoulder. "Are you OK, Sora?"

"Just a scratch." said Sora. He looked at his shoulder, seeing only a minor burn. "Not too serious." He rose to his feet, still grasping his shoulder. Before them was the generator which powered the mobile dolls. "Alright! Let's do this!"

Their achievement did not go unnoticed. One of the attendants in the main control room detected the penetration.

"General Ameba!" he cried. "Sora and his friends! They've managed to take down the defense of the mobile doll generator!"

"What! On screen!" shouted Ameba. The screen was activated and there stood Sora and his friends with an open path all the way to the power source. Ameba grit his teeth in a bitter rage. "Damn that little bastard! I'll take care of him myself!" He quickly dismissed himself and ran towards the hall where the KH team were at.

Sora walked to where the generator stood. The generator itself was a sight to behold, with blue electrical surges encircling it.

"All we have to do dispose of this thing." he said. "Then, the mobile dolls would cease to function."

"Uh, fellas." Goofy uttered. "We have company."

The team looked behind to the entry way to see Ameba rushing down the hall. Behind him, were thousands of Imperial troops, who managed to break through the barrier they made earlier.

"Oh no!" shouted Mickey. He saw the control panel on side of the door. "We have to close the doors, or we'll be overrun!"

"Right!" said Sora. He rushed over and pressed the large red button on the panel. Immediately, the massive doors began to close. "Mickey! Goofy! Begin destroying that thing! Donald and I will keep these guys at bay!"

"Gotcha!"-

Goofy and Mickey rushed forward and began attacking the generator. However, they could only do so much damage at one time due to the immense size of the power generator itself.

"Rush them!" Ameba ordered. "Take them all out!"

The doors finally closed and Sora slashed the panel in half, sealing the door for good. However, several Imperials managed to get in and further battle commenced between the KH group and the Imperials. The Imperial soldiers used their blasters against their foe. But even that was not enough to stop the grit of the KH team.

"We're almost rid of the last of them!" said Donald.

"Good!" Sora replied. "How are things coming with the generator!"

"A few more hits and we'll be through here!" Mickey replied.

"We'll give you a hand!" Sora and Donald went to work on the generator too.

On the other side of the doors, Ameba was awaiting his men to open the door manually.

"Will you hurry up already!" shouted Ameba.

"We're doing the best we can, Sir!" said one soldier, hotwiring the door.

"Well, you're not doing well enough!"-

The efforts of the Imperials was in vain though. In only a matter of minutes, Sora and the others managed to break the power connection of the generator. The generator itself became unstable and began to overload with excess power.

"Well, that's done!" said Sora. "Mission accomplished!"

"It won't be if we're trapped in here with a generator that's about to explode!" said Mickey.

"It's all taken care of." Sora thrust his sword over his head. "Come out, Zeke!" There was a bright flash of light and before the group emerged the silver organoid. "Alright! Jump on!"

The three jumped on the back of the silver dragon.

At the same time, the Imperials managed to open the doors, but it was already too late and the Imperials found themselves confronting a feisty, silver dragon.

"Sorry, guys!" said Sora. "You were a little late! Let's go Zeke!"

The little dragon roared and blew through the Imperial ranks, knocking many of the soldiers aside. General Ameba could only look at the collapsing generator.

"It's too late." he uttered, falling to his knees. Pounding his fist into the ground, he glared back to where Sora had made his escape. "This isn't over, Sora! You will pay for my humiliation with your life! You and your friends!"

"Sir!" shouted one of the soldiers. "We must withdraw from this corridor!"

The Imperials evacuated the area as the generator collapsed to the ground. A powerful explosion erupted, blowing tremendous gusts of wind down the corridor. Ameba could only gaze at what had happened. He looked at his hands.

"Useless!" he uttered. "I could not even stop a boy from destroying my plan. But I will have my revenge. In this life, or the next."

As the generator collapsed, so did the Empire's hopes of success in conquering the 'Seed Realm.' One by one, the mobile dolls began to stop. Around the Archangel, the machines, in midst of battle, suddenly ceased to be active and hovered in the depths of space like giant paperweights.

"Hey, they've stopped moving." said Cagalli.

"He did it!" shouted Mwu. "Sora did it! He stopped the dolls at the source!"

Immediately, there was a change in the tide of battle as the Imperial offensive had been severed in two.

"My fellow human beings of Earth and Space!" Lacus Clyne transmitted throughout the fighting forces. "The tide of battle has turned in our favor! Let us drive the enemy from our homes! Let us unite and force these ruthless invaders to flee before our might!"

Hesitation was not resent in the hearts of either the Coordinators, or the Naturals. Having been inflicted with numerous casualties, many of the survivors wished for revenge against the Imperial forces. So with great courage and gusto, both sides began to attack the Imperial destroyers. The destroyers, despite distortion fields and barge cannons, could no longer effectively attack the enemy. Immediately, the Imperial forces went on the defensive. To complicate matters, further declining the Imperial effectiveness, the distortion field generators of each destroyer had been used to their absolute limit. Because they were providing protection for city sized battle ships, the shield generators had to unleash a great amount of energy. But now, the power cells for the shield generators were losing energy dramatically and the ships found themselves vulnerable to enemy attack. Now, the destroyer's defense had been severed as they were now prone to the attacks by Earth and ZAFT. It was the grand destroyer who felt the bulk of Earth and ZAFT's retribution.

Ameba still sat on his knees, still trying to overcome the shock. His men tried to move him, but he refused to budge. General Durovano rushed to where the commander lay and tried to wake him.

"How could this happen?" he uttered.

"Sir, we must withdraw!" said Durovano. "We have lost all possible ways of mounting a counteroffensive!"

"How could this happen? Everything was so perfect. My hands are useless."-

"General, Sir!"-

Just then, a transmission made its way to the hall. A message screen suddenly appeared before him. From the screen, Lord Arakis glared at Ameba.

"The fleet is in danger, General Ameba. Order a withdrawal from this realm." Arakis said.

"But, my lord!" Ameba replied.

"Things have gotten out of hand already, General. You might have proven that the mobile dolls are effective enough to be used efficiently against the Alliance fleet. However, your strategy to install a power generator in only the grand destroyer instead of one for each destroyer has failed. Had you been less thrifty, we could have engaged in a more expendable campaign. But because of our limited power, the fleet itself could do very little effectively."-

"But I did not want to endanger the fleet as a whole! I thought that using only one would be sufficient! It also saved a great deal of money to build only one!"-

"But as a consequence, the fleet could only stay within a certain proximity in order for the dolls to have any effect. Had any of the ships strayed from the fleet, their dolls would have been useful only as big paperweights."-

"My lord!"-

"Order the retreat before the rest of the fleet is put in jeopardy."-

"But I promised victory to the Imperial Council of Lords and to His Excellency, Master Cavendish!"-

"Well, apparently, this result is everything, but a victory. This blunder will not bode well in the eyes of the Imperial Council. So, you may drop all notions of being promoted to Lord, General" Arakis then turned to General Durovano. "General Durovano. You have been requested back to Halloween Town by your subordinates, General King and General Trikken."

"Yes, Sir!" replied Durovano.

"This mission is over! All return to you stations!"-

The soldiers retreated back to the posts, leaving Ameba and Durovano alone. Ameba rose to his feet and stared down the corridor to the room where the generator once stood.

"This isn't over." Ameba said to himself. "Lord Arakis, you were hoping for me to fail so that I wouldn't gain the reputation within the Empire that I had hoped. That is why I detest the Death Lords. Believing my ways to be some sort of barbaric method, when in reality they are the most effective. But apparently because of this failure, my achievements will not be recognized. But in this particular scenario, your opinions don't matter. The real thorn lodged in my side is that boy, Sora, and his friends. For the humiliation he has inflicted upon me this day, I will see that he pays with his life. He is my target. Until I regain my honor from this humiliating defeat, I will not stop my hunt for this boy. This is far from over, Sora. Far from over." Ameba turned to General Durovano. "Get the grand destroyers main cannon on line! If I can't have a proper victory, then no one can! The earth and ZAFT may have won, but not without severe losses inflicted upon them as well!"

"You intend to destroy them with our main cannon!" asked Durovano.

"I don't intend to inflict total genocide upon these people, but I can come close to it! Aim the cannon at the earth sphere! Then, these people will curse the day they ever dared to confront me!"-

The Imperial fleet began to turn from Earth and the PLANT colonies of ZAFT. Both Coordinators and Naturals cheered in great triumph as they saw the humbled Imperial Fleet turn away in shame.

"Serves you right!" shouted Cagalli.

"We won!" added Mwu.

"We did it!" cheered Athrun and Kira.

"We survived!" chuckled Lowe and Gai.

"It's over!" bellowed Dearka. "Sucks to you guys!"

The cheering roared throughout space and Earth. ZAFT and their colonies celebrated in the streets as they saw the Dark Empire run with their tail between their legs. The cheering could be heard from Earth to the PLANT colonies. Soldiers sighed relief.

"Congratulations!" Lacus Clyne said through another transmitted message. "We all have done it! Not as individuals! Not as Coordinators, or Naturals, but as members of the human race! When we stood united, we managed to confront a great power that was on the verge of destroying us and wiping us from the face of the universe! I wish to congratulate all who had put their effort and all their souls into helping save this world!"-

"Not quite!" another transmission interrupted.

"Who in the world is..." Kira said. But before he could finish his statement, a screen appeared before him as it did to all the other mobile suits and carriers.

"This is General Ameba! Leader of the 3rd Imperial fleet of the Dark Empire! Do not think that this is over! Do not think that because you have won a single battle, you've won the outcome of the war! All this little victory of yours has done was buy yourselves a little time! But we'll be back with more resources and better strategies! Next time, you will feel the full force of the Dark Empire! Something which none of you will be able to withstand! Let alone survive!" The grand destroyer suddenly turned its underside towards Earth. From the bottom, a light of red energy began to pulsate. "Now curse the day you ever dared to defy me! General Ameba of the Dark Empire! And curse your own stupidity! Open fire!"-

Immediately, a large beam descended down to the Earth's sphere. Within seconds, there was a large explosion and a great ring of spread throughout the Earth. The once happy smiles turned to gasps of horror, the loud cheers of joy turned to terrified screams, and the hope of the people of Earth and ZAFT were burned like the surrounding lands and seas where the explosion took place. They saw as everything within a one thousand mile radius was incinerated. What once was Europe, Western Asia, Northern Africa, and the Eastern United States, was reduced to ashes, or covered in water.

"Oh no!" said Kira. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Damn them!" shouted Athrun. "How could they do such a thing!"

"How could they?" Sora uttered, looking from the recently launched gummi ship. "What was the point of doing that!" Sora fell to his knees and cried. "Those bastards! They'll pay! General Ameba! You'll pay! You'll pay for what you've done! I swear it!" Sora raised his head, his eyes filled with rage. "I may defeat the Cavendish Shinobis! I may defeat Lord Arakis! But you are the one who I will kill! My hatred is you and no one else! Anyone who takes the lives of innocent people without a second thought, or without any thoughts of remorse, or regret, don't deserve to keep their lives!"

"I hope Riku's alright." said Mickey.

"He is. And he is just as angry as I am."-

"Let this be a lesson to all who dare to stand in the way of the Empire!" chuckled Ameba. "Had you allowed us to have our way and emerge victorious, this event could have been avoided! Most importantly, you can curse those who set you against us! Especially, the two keybearers, Riku and Sora! The next time we return, don't expect any further remorse from us!" He turned his attentions towards Riku and Sora. "And a message to the keybearers! You want me, then come an get me! But let your pigheadedness be a burden to you as each soul killed is a result of your defiance!"

With that, the Imperial fleet vanished without a trace, returning back to the dimensional realm from which they came. The battle was over, but not without its losses.

The gummi ship landed on the island where Riku and Anubis fought. Sora ran out to find Riku sitting on a stone, next to the crashing surf.

"I heard about what happened." Riku said. "I saw what happened. I saw a bright light, a sudden explosion, and the surface of Earth rumbling violently. Many people died today."

"I just can't believe the Empire would go so far as to destroy half the life on this planet just to get their point straight."-

"It's that General Ameba. He's the one who provoked it. He's the one responsible."-

"Then, he should be the one we kill without hesitation."-

"Yes, but right now, we have a friend to save." Riku took out from his pocket, the next information disk. "We gotta go."

"Right."-

The team boarded their ship to interpret the code. Sora saw Kira and Athrun walking down to meet them.

"You guys going?" asked Kira.

"We have to." Sora replied. "We have a friend to save."

"I just can't believe everything that's happened." said Athrun. "Such a tragedy."

"Maybe things would have been better, if we hadn't interfered."-

"That's not true." Kira placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. "If you hadn't come, things might have been worse that this. We would have been enslaved by the Empire."

"It's thanks to you, Sora that we managed to survive and are still free from oppression." said Athrun. "Maybe it was fate."

"I guess." Sora smiled and began to walk away. "Are you sure you guys will be alright?"

"We'll be fine. It'll take some time to get over, but we'll be fine. As we speak, Earth and ZAFT are already meeting with each other to declare terms of peace and unity. Knowing that we must still confront further threats from the Empire, they've taken it within their own considerable power to ensure peace amongst Coordinators and Naturals."-

"Come on, Sora!" shouted Mickey. "We gotta get going!"

"Right, I'm coming!" Sora replied. He waved good bye and ran back to the ship. "It's all up to them now."

The gummi ship ascended into the air. It's boosters booming with great intensity. Further and further it went, until it disappeared into the atmosphere, leaving Kira and the others to continue with reconstruction of their world.

In the gummi ship, Riku decoded the disk. Before them, their next destination and where the next member of the Cavendish Shinobis resided.

_Osiris, master of wind, has been assigned to take over the "Treasure Realm." Lord Lu Bu will be accompanying him. Their mission is to see if they can gain a sufficient amount of riches from the legendary pirates keep of Captain Nathaniel Flint called Treasure Planet._

"Our next destination isn't too far away." Riku stated.

"Lu Bu..." Sora uttered. "Is he the guy that we saw at Traverse Town?"

"The one with the giant feelers."-

"I wonder how strong he is."-

"We'll soon find out. But if the rumors are true about his strength, we're in for one hell of a fight."-

Off to the 'Treasure Realm.' the party went, hoping to find the next member and stop him. However, the tragedy of the 'Seed Realm' did not leave their minds and thoughts of revenge against the one who killed so many grew stronger with every step closer, they took.


	14. Plotting Revenge

Plotting Revenge

Following the disaster of the 'Seed Realm,' General Ameba was brought before the head representatives of the Imperial Council of Lords. The concerns regarding his conduct and the aftermath in the 'Seed Realm' had been less than sentimental. His four judges, Lord Scythe, Lord Crepes, Lord Malico, and Lord Verliotz, conducted the interrogation step by step, pointing out some of the misdeeds and necessary actions decided by him during the campaign.

"And you say that you deliberately fired the grand destroyer's beam cannon?" asked Lord Verliotz.

"I did." replied Ameba.

"Without any regards to the orders you had been given by the Imperial Council and His Excellency, Master Arakis?" said Lord Scythe.

"That is correct."-

"But why would you carry out with such a deed? Your only objective was to subdue the inhabitants of the 'Seed Realm.' I don't think there was any need for you to have to obliterate half of the planet's population."-

"Was it because you had declared vengeance against them?" asked Lord Verliotz. "From what accounts said, you quoted 'Next time, you will feel the full force of the Dark Empire.' But soon after you state 'Let that be a lesson to those who defy me.' In my opinion, it was more of a message regarding your personal pride."

"Yes." said Ameba. "I was doing it for the sake of my pride. Had those fools in the 'Seed Realm' not have been so defiant, the outcome would have been different."

"But those people were also defending their world from being overrun and oppressed." Lord Crepes pointed out. "You should know by now that there will always be opposition towards expansionism when one power enters another's territory. History shows that to us constantly."

"Had you decided to withhold your rage, the outcome might have been different." added Lord Malico. "However, because of what you have done, it is most likely that retribution against the Empire will be swift and furious. We are trying to establish commerce with these people. And because of the your immediate decision to obliterate half their population, they would be reluctant to ever settle peaceful terms with us."

"From what my memory points out," said Lord Verliotz, "You said that you could attain victory swiftly and without necessary actions to shed innocent blood. You could subdue them by destroying their military capacity. As a promise, we would authenticate your success and grant you position as Lord. Thus, your status would increase within the Empire. However, the only thing that you have proven is that the mobile dolls are most effective in battle. His Excellency, Lord Arakis, has claimed the mobile dolls would be sufficient for attacking the Alliance fleet and you yourself have proven his theory of their effectiveness. However, your part of the bargain had not been fulfilled. Thus we, the leaders of the Imperial Council have decided to terminate your application."

"This meeting is adjourned!" said Lord Scythe. They dismissed Ameba from his trial and the general went off in sympathy. However, his sympathy did not last for long. Returning to his quarters, he slammed his fist against the wall.

"Damn that boy!" he uttered in rage. "I completely underestimated him! Well, I'll soon get my retribution sooner, or later!" Ameba sat in his chair and poured himself a cup of brandy. "And I know exactly how to do it. Knowing the Imperial Council, they would never allow me to pursue my own agenda. So I can't go in pursuit of them personally. However, I can always send someone in my place." General Ameba rang for one of the attendants. Before long there was a knock on the door and the attendant walked in.

"Did you summon me, Sir?" she asked.

"I did, my dear." Ameba said. "Send a message to the Asphyxia Twins. I wish for an audience with them. Tell them it's urgent and they should come to my request as soon as possible."

"Of course, Sir." The young attendant withdrew from the room, leaving Ameba alone with his brandy.

"If there is anyone who can stealthily get rid of Sora, they can."-

For a full hour, he awaited the arrival of his guest until there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Ameba said. The door opened and the attendant came in with two young people about twenty, or so. A young girl, fair and beautiful and you young man who was equal in attractive looks. Dressed in tight, dark spandex jumpers, they came in side by side.

"General Ameba." the attendant announced. "May I present Stifle and Smother Asphyxia."

"Excellent work." said Ameba. "You may leave us."

"Yes, Sir." The attendant left the room leaving them to their business.

"You beckoned us, General?" asked Stifle.

"Of what can we be of service?" added Smother.

"It's quite simple." Ameba explained. "I need you to assassinate a certain someone. You up to it?"

"It depends on the target and how much you'll pay."-

"Very well. The keybearer, Sora. I'm sure you've heard of him."-

"I understand that young boy is fighting off the members of the Cavendish Shinobis."-

"I hear he's ever so handsome." Stifle giggled.

"Not as handsome as your brother though." Smother objected.

"His looks aren't important right now!" said Ameba. "It's his continuous interference that's getting on my nerves! And I want you to get rid of him! As for your payment." Ameba took from his coat a large sack of gold coins and threw it on the table. "You can expect the next half of it after you finish the job."

"Your wish is our command, General." said Stifle. She greedily took the bag and opened it, gazing upon the shiny gold coins.

"You couldn't have chosen a better pair of assassins, Sir." added Smother. "But may I ask why you have not decided to go after them yourself?"

"I cannot pursue my own agenda without the consent of the Imperial Council." Ameba uttered. "Besides, I know how you two always like to make your victims suffer. Once the deed is done, inform me of how he died in complete detail." He sipped his brandy and sat down in his chair. "Well, I believe that's enough for now. You may go and fulfill you mission."

"As you wish, Sir." The twins dismissed themselves from the room, closing the door behind them.

"Soon, Sora. You will meet your sorry end."-


	15. Pirate's Secret

Pirates Secret

The KH party reached their destination. However, upon reaching the so called 'Treasure Realm,' they ended up running into a rather violent maelstrom. The wind and rain slammed into the ship with utter force, causing the gummi ship to shift off course.

"Man! Things just never seem to work for us!" said Sora.

"Just be thankful it's just rain and wind, and not bullets, or bombs this time!" said Riku.

"Are you sure this is the right place!" asked Mickey.

"The coordinates are correct!" Donald replied. "This is definitely the 'Treasure Realm!' Right now, we've reached the planet Montressor!" Donald eased the ship onto one of the landing docks. After killing the engines, he sat back down with a sigh of relief. "Now, that was a challenge. Especially in a storm like this."

"Well, I don't know about you," said Sora, "But I could use something to eat."

"Me two." added Donald.

"Me three." chuckled Goofy. "I could go for a club sandwich."

"Well, let's stop at that inn over there and see if we can get some shelter for tonight." Riku suggested.

The party made their way through the hailing rain to the establishment known as the Benbow Inn. The party walked in, soaking wet, to a warm and cheerful atmosphere. A young woman walked up to them, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Good evening, gents." she said. "I'm Sarah Hawkins. I'll be your hostess tonight. How may I be of service?"

"We'd like a place to stay for the night." said Riku.

"Well, of course. We have some nice rooms vacant at the moment. Just one moment. Jim! Jim!" There was no sign of the lad she beckoned. "Jim Hawkins! Where are you!"

Nothing came forth amongst the masses of cheerful inhabitants.

"Who's Jim Hawkins?" asked Sora.

"Oh, I forgot to mention." Sarah Hawkins explained. "He happens to be my son. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be around right now. But that's alright. I'll just show you to your rooms." She led the team up a flight of stairs to a long corridor with several doors. She opened to first two on the right. "I hope you enjoy your stay here gentlemen. These are the best rooms in the house."

"We'll take 'em!" chuckled Mickey. Pulling out a sack of gold, he gave it to Sarah.

"Thank you, Sir. But I couldn't accept all this."-

"Think of it as a bountiful fee from those desperate for shelter."-

"Thank you so much." She walked out of the room. "Well, I'll leave you gentlemen alone while I continue with my work downstairs." Taking one final glance, Sarah smiled and walked down the hall, back to the busy dining area.

"Well, now that's we're settled in," said Sora, "let's go down and get something to eat."

"I'm with you there, Sora!" chuckled Goofy.

"Me too." added Donald, subsequently looking at Goofy. "I could eat a horse."

"Well, don't look at me when you say that!"

"I said a horse, Goofy! Not a Jackass!"-

"But do we have enough to pay for a meal?" asked Riku.

"We have more than enough." Mickey replied. "I think we can afford to splurge a little bit. So why not. Let's trip the life fantastic!"

The five rushed down to the frantic and happy mass of song, food, and drink. They sat themselves at a table and waited to be served. Sarah Hawkins walked over to them.

"I see you guys are hungry." she chuckled. "Would you like the house special?"

"What is it?" asked Sora.

"It's a twenty ounce steak sautéed in a special marinate and grilled to perfection, sided with mash potatoes, and a side of coleslaw."-

"That sounds alright to me!"-

"Me too!" added Goofy

"I'm game!" chuckled Donald.

"Then, It's unanimous!" said Riku. "Five house specials then!"

"Alright!" said Sarah, writing their meals on her bill pad. "I'll bring it out as soon as I can."

Sora gazed about the room, seeing many people talking and bickering about their own business and realized that it was only Mrs. Hawkins that was working about.

"You don't seem to have much help here do you." he said.

"Well, it's only me and Jim." Sarah replied. "We manage the whole thing by ourselves."

"Well where is Jim?" asked Mickey.

"I'm sure he'll come about soon."-

It was then that a distinguished gentlemen approached the table. Carrying several books in his hand and fixing his glasses, he came up to Mrs. Hawkins.

"Excuse me, Sarah?" he uttered.

"Delbert." she replied. "What brings you here?"

"I've come to dine here if that's alright."-

"I would welcome you, but we have seemed to run out of tables."-

"That's alright." said Sora, getting up. "We have an extra seat if you'd like to join us."

"I really couldn't, Sir." said Delbert.

"I insist. There's nothing I hate more than someone who doesn't have a place to seat themselves at."-

"Well, that is very generous of you indeed. Very well, I shall take you on your kind offer, Sir. Mr. name is Dr. Delbert Doppler."-

"I'm Sora." The two shook hands. Soon after, the KH team stood up to give a handshake, introducing themselves one after another.

"I'm Riku."-

"I'm Mickey."-

"Name's Goofy."-

"Donald Duck."-

"The usual, Delbert?" asked Sarah.

"That sounds delightful, Sarah." replied Delbert.

"I'll have your orders out as soon as possible."-

She withdrew to the kitchen as the party sat down and engaged in conversation.

"Tell me, Delbert." asked Sora. "How is it that you are acquainted with Mrs. Hawkins?"

"Well, I've been an old friend of the family since Jim was a young lad." Delbert replied.

"She's a very busy woman." Riku uttered. "So many guest to serve. And you say she does it all by herself?"

"All by herself. Many people here, including myself, insist on giving her a hand, but she insist on bearing the weight."-

"What about her son, Jim?" asked Mickey.

"Jim helps out as well. More times than what many give him credit for. But ever since his father left them, he's never fully recovered. Recently, he's been rather depressed and has gotten into trouble lately."-

"That's too bad." said Goofy. "Poor guy."

"I wouldn't be surprised." added Riku. "It's just the two of them. And running a business at such a tight end makes the situation even harder."

Mrs. Hawkins returned to the table with their drinks.

"Here you go, gents." she said.

"Tell me." asked Delbert. "How is it with Jim lately?"

"Well..." there was a silence amongst the party, before Sarah could utter the rest of her statement. "I know that he's had it a little rough lately, but I believe he'll turn about soon."

It was then that the doors burst open and two mechanical officers, with a boy placed before them, entered the inn.

"Mrs. Hawkins." said one of the officers.

"Jim!" cried Sarah.

"Ooh. Wrong turn." said Delbert.

"OK, thanks for the lift, fellas!" Jim uttered, trying to cover the issue.

"Not so fast!" said the second officer. "Your son was caught operating a solar vehicle in restricted air space."

"Again!" Sarah uttered.

"This is the second time he's been warned, ma'am." said the first officer. "As a result of this violation, we have impounded his vehicle. You must understand that this violation has breeched the agreement of his probation. Any further violations will result in immediate relocation to Juvenile Hall."

"I understand, Officer." said Sarah, pulling her son towards her. "I won't happen again."

"We see these things all the time ma'am." said the second officer.

"Wrong choices." added the other officer.

"Bad decisions."-

"Losers."-

"You take care now?" They tipped their hats.

"Let's motor!" said the first officer. With that, the two officers left. Business continued soon after the incident had passed. Sarah sighed, frustratingly.

"Jim. I have had it." she uttered, angrily. "Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall? Is that it?" Jim only turned around and began picking up the dishes on the dirty tables. "It's bad enough that I have to do things here on my own, but now I have to contend with all this..."

"It's not what you think, Mom!" Jim blasted out. "Those cops just won't get off my back."

"I don't want anything to happen to you! I'm just concerned about your safety that's all! I don't want you to ruin your future!"-

"Yeah. What future." Jim uttered, entering the kitchen with his load.

"As you can see, things aren't going well with them." Delbert stated.

"He just hasn't been the same since his father left us." said Sarah.

"I don't know how you manage to put up with it. Running a business and having to raise a felon... I mean fellow like Jim."-

"I'm at the end of my rope now. He's never been like this all the time. You know how smart he is. I mean he built his first solar surfer when he was eight. And yet, he's failing in school, he's always getting into trouble, and whenever I try to talk to him, it's as if I'm talking to a complete stranger. I've done all I can." She lowered her head and tears began to form on the lower lids of her eyes. She wiped them off and sniffled a bit. "I'm sorry. I have to get you involved in this."

"It's quite alright." said Delbert.

"Is there anything we can do for you, Mrs. Hawkins?" asked Riku.

"That's quite alright. I can manage. I always have."-

Just then, the doors burst open again, but this time a band of roughnecks came waltzing into the inn. They helped themselves to a table, forcing the customers sitting there to leave the inn altogether. With the arrival of these ruffians, many of the customers left without a word.

"Hey! How about some service here!" shouted one of the party members.

"We're starving!" shouted another.

Mrs. Hawkins walked up to them.

"Please, gentlemen." she uttered. "Don't cause a ruckus while there are other customers about."

"Stop your cake hole and give us some service!" said one member. Mrs. Hawkins soon realized they were armed with cutlasses and pistols.

"Hey, you're a good looking woman." chuckled another, pulling here down onto his knee. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to turn her head at him. "I would love to know more about you!"

"I know what you want to know about her!" guffawed another, daring to lift her skirt with his scabbard.

"Stop!" Sarah cried.

"You unhand her now!" Delbert protested.

"And what are you gonna do about it, pretty boy!" one ruffian chuckled. Delbert, not wanting to cause further trouble, backed off.

"Now where was I before we were so rudely interrupted? Oh Yeah!" He continued to use his scabbard to lift up Mrs. Hawkins's petticoat.

"You leave my mother alone!" shouted a voice. The ruffians looked to see Jim standing there, armed with a butcher's knife.

"Well, looky here." chuckled the first ruffian. "We have a little hero!"

"Hey, kid." said the second. "You really think you can stand a chance against pirates!"

"Pirates!" cried Delbert. "You're pirates!"

"That's right!" said the first pirate. "And now that you know we're pirates, you'll do as we say!"

"You're not getting anything!" shouted Jim. "You let go of my mother, or I'll make you sorry!"

"Is that so." a voice uttered from above. Jim looked up and suddenly and giant spider pirate landed on the floor. Using his claw, he grabbed Jim by the throat and held him against the wall. Jim struggled in the spider's grasp, his feet flailing about in the air.

"Give it to him, Scroop!" shouted the second pirate.

"Don't you be worrying about that notion." said Scroop. "I'll make sure this boy gets what he so strongly desires. More, or less anyway." He glared at Jim with those bright yellow eyes. "Tell me, have you seen any spacers come around here lately?"

"Why do you wanna know!" Jim uttered.

"Tell me straight and we'll be on our way. Have any spacers come here recently? If so, did they go by the name Billy Bones?"-

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you!"-

"You are a fool!" Scroop held him higher, tightening his grip. "I'm giving you a chance to be cooperative, boy. But you refuse to take it. Either you are extremely brave, or your ears aren't functioning properly."

"My ears may not be working properly, but I know my nose is!"-

"Why you little...!" Scroop tightened is grip around the boy's throat. Jim began to choke violently, his legs giving way to violent thrashing.

"Jim, please!" cried Sarah.

"Leave him alone, Scroop!" shouted Sora, standing up to face the pirates. "Or you'll have to answer to me!"

"Hmm. Another hero." said Scroop. "Either you are extremely brave, or remarkably foolish. You think it's wise standing against a pirate?"

"Don't you worry about that. I can take you on."-

"Well, try saying that after I kill this boy." He took his other claw and held it against Jim's jugular. "Try any heroics and this boy meets a sorry end indeed."

Sora sneered and dropped his guard. One of the pirates ran up, grabbed a hold of Sora and slammed his head against the table.

"Not so cocky now are you!" chuckled the third pirate. "I don't here you making any cheeky remarks anymore!"

"Why those..." Riku uttered, standing up. Mickey, however placed his hand on his shoulder forcing Riku to sit down again.

"Don't do it, Riku." he said. "If we try to interfere, we'll only end up becoming hostages as well. They intend to kill Jim and possibly Sora if we try to rescue them." Riku sat back down, clenching his fists in utter rage.

"Now!" shouted the third pirate, throwing Sora against a table. Sora hit the table and fell to the ground, bits of food fell on his head. "I'll have a little fun with you."

"Excuse me." said a voice. The pirates and the KH party looked to see a dark skinned figure sitting at the table that had recently collapsed. He stood up and wiped his mouth. "I don't know where it is you came from, but from where I come from, disturbing someone during a meal is considered extremely rude."

"You stay out of this, stranger!" said Scroop. "Our business is only with these two boys!"

"But I can's just sit here and allow you to get away with spoiling my meal. To add on to the situation, you have two young boys and a woman as hostages. I personally find that an unnecessary action. Hiding behind innocent blood to protect yourself from harm. Therefore, due to such a cowardly act on your part, I have no other choice but to interfere."-

"And how do you plan on taking us on?"-

"Like this." the stranger lifted his right hand with index and middle finger erected. He suddenly swooped his hand at a downward angle. Nothing had happened, no visible attack, no sudden weapon activity, nothing whatsoever had occurred. Or so they thought. Suddenly, Scroop's left arm stung with great pain. Releasing Jim from his grasp, he grabbed hold of his arm in pain. His hand suddenly developed a bruise which streaked down his arm.

"What...what did you do?" said Scroop.

"Wouldn't you like to know." said the stranger.

The pirates drew their weapons, but realized that Sora had released himself from their clutches and already had his sword drawn. Riku as well, jumped up and unsheathed his sword. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy took their weapons and stood ready to face the pirates.

"You're outnumbered here." Sora stated. "Give up while you can!"

"You think you can win against battle experienced pirates?" said Scroop.

"We'll take our chances." said Riku.

But it wasn't long before the doors burst open again. In the doorway, a cyborg stood with his one mechanical eye glaring at the individuals in the room.

"What is going on in here, ya scurvy dogs!" shouted the cyborg.

"Captain Long John Silver." said the second pirate.

"I thought I told you not to be causing a disturbance to these citizens! Your mission was to find out what you needed to know without stirring up further conflicts! Instead, you decide to be daft about the entire situation and blow the entire operation before it's begun."-

"The situation has already passed though." said Scroop. "Now, we have no choice but to extract the information we want by force."

"Very true! Very true! And you'll never know more than a particularly stupid pilchard!" John Silver walked about the group. "I'll be making this as short as possible! Where is Billy Bones!"

"We don't know who you're talking about!" said Delbert.

"I'm sure you don't! But I have already heard enough from a reliable source that he be seen in this area already! And since you know we be pirates now, you hesitate to tell us what we be wanting to know." Using the accessories from his leg and arm, he created a portable beam cannon. "Now, by thunder, will ye be telling us what we want to know, or are ya still gonna stay quiet about it until we have to tear the place apart."

Suddenly, Mrs. Hawkins fell to her knees and cried.

"Please, Sir!" she said. "There's no Billy Bones here! There never was! I swear it! Now please just leave!"

"Very well, then." said Silver. "But if I find out that ye be lying to us, our retribution will descend upon you like a tidal wave!" Silver withdrew his cannon and walked out. "We're leaving, gents! So don't be making a fuss over anything! Understood, Mr. Scroop!"

"Transparently." Scroop uttered. With that, the five pirates exited out of the inn and disappeared into the driving rain.

Sora and the other withdrew their weapons.

"That was too close for comfort." said Sora.

"I'll say." added Riku.

"Well, I'll be on my way then." the stranger uttered, wrapping his cloak around him.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" said Sora. "I never got to thank you for helping us."

"It's nothing, kid. I was just doing what I thought was the right thing to do."-

"My name is Sora."-

"Standing Eagle." With those last words, the stranger disappeared into the storm. Sora rushed out, but he had disappeared without a trace.

"Standing Eagle, eh?" said Riku. "Well, I doubt this'll be the last time we see him."

"You might be right about that, Riku." Sora replied. He saw Jim standing up and dusting himself off. "Are you OK, Jim?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." he uttered. "Listen. Thanks for doing what you did for me back there."

"Jim!" cried Sarah Hawkins, embracing him.

"Mom."-

"Don't ever scare me like that again!"-

"Do ya think those pirates might come back?" asked Goofy.

"Without a doubt." replied Mickey.

"It's a good thing we came here when we did." said Sora. "They were looking for this guy named Billy Bones. Who's Billy Bones anyhow?"

"I be Billy Bones." uttered a voice from the staircase. The party looked up to see an old salamander descending the staircase. He took heavy breaths descending down the staircase.

"You're Billy Bones?"-

"I thought you said there was no Billy Bones." said Mickey.

"I lied." said Sarah. "If I had told them the truth, they still would've ransacked the inn looking for valuables."

"Are you OK, Mr. Bones?" asked Jim, running to assist the old pirate.

"They be after me chest." said Billy. "Lad. Bring me chest here."

Jim nodded and ran to the kitchen. Hidden behind the cupboard, he pulled out Billy's sea chest. Bringing it before the old salamander, Jim backed away as he Billy inserted the code to open the chest. From his chest, lay a golden sphere of some sort. Strange markings and inscriptions were embroidered onto its surface.

"What is that?" asked Jim.

"What that scurvy cyborg was after." Billy replied. "He'll never get me map. He'll never get his hands on that great..." Suddenly, old Billy Bones collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no!" said Sora. They ran up to assist the old pirate.

"Silver won't stop. He'll keep coming for it. And he'll kill anyone who stands in his way."-

"What is this map for?" asked Sora.

"Flint's Trove..."-

"Treasure Planet?" said Jim. "You mean Treasure Planet?"

"The loot of a thousand worlds?" added Delbert. "Can you believe it. The loot of a thousand worlds. Anyone who finds it would have their names inscribed into the history books throughout the galaxy."

"No wonder those pirates were desperate to find it." said Riku.

"Hey, Riku." Sora uttered. "Isn't that the reason why Lu Bu and Osiris are here? They've come looking for that trove?"

"You're right, Sora. The reason for them being here is to find Flint's treasure and take it to increase the financial capita of the Dark Empire."

"So it's not only pirates looking for Flint's Trove ." said Delbert. "These two individuals you speak of are after the gold as well?"

"The gold..." said Billy Bones. "You must not let them have the gold. Take me map Jim, me lad. Ye always have been a help to old Billy Bones. Don't let Silver and his band of cutthroats get their hands of Flint's gold." Handing the map to Jim, he took one final breath and fell dead on the floor. Delbert ran to check for a pulse, but it was too late already.

"He's dead alright." he uttered.

"Well, now what do we do?" asked Goofy.

"We'll look for Treasure Planet." said Jim. "I plan to get my hands on that gold."

"That is out of the question!" his mother protested. "That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard of!"-

"But Mom! All those stories!"-

"That's all they were! Stories!"-

"But with the treasure, we'll be able to build the Benbow Inn to a greater grandeur than it is now! We'd be able to live like royalty!"-

"Delbert! Will you talk to him and tell him how ludicrous this plan is!"-

"Yes! It's utterly ridiculous for you to go alone!" said Delbert.

"You see."-

"That's why I'll be going with you, Jim!"-

"Delbert!" shouted Sarah. "You're not helping!"

"All my life I've been waiting for this moment and here it is screaming! Go Delbert! Go Delbert! Go Delbert!"-

"Enough! You're both grounded!"-

"Mom, please." Jim uttered. "I know that I've screwed up in the past and that I've...I've let you down. But this is my chance to make it up to you. To make a better life for the both of us."

"Jim I..."-

"He won't be going alone." said Delbert. "Besides, you said yourself that you've tried everything. A few character building months in space will be good for him anyway."

"Are you saying this because it's the right thing to do?" asked Sarah. "Or is it because you really want to go?"

"I really, really, really want to go. And it's the right thing to do."-

She could only sigh and walked up to her son. Holding his hands, she looked into his eyes with a great sadness.

"Alright. Just don't get hurt."-

"Well, it's settled then." said Delbert. "First of all, it's best that we all return to my estate. I want Sarah to stay there for the time being until this thing blows over. I'll gather the necessary items for the journey, hire a captain and a crew and then we'll be off on our journey."

"You don't have to go through all that trouble." said Sora. "We can take you to Treasure Planet on our gummi ship."

"Oh no we're not!" Donald protested.

"Why not!"-

"You want to know why! One, we only have so much fuel and rocket power left to complete our journey! Two, the gummi ship has only so much space! So we all can't fit in it along with all the supplies needed! And three, we'd be providing unnecessary transportation. Our real objective will be denied."

"That's alright, Donald." said Mickey. "We can afford to give them a hand."

"Do not worry." said Delbert. "Whatever costs you your objective, I will pay in full! I will pay for the fuel necessary to get us to our destination and back."

"That still hasn't eliminated the fact that we still don't have enough room for everyone else!"-

"But we can always use our other gummi ships." said Mickey. "Don't forget, we have the Leviathan stored for backup as well."

"Alright. If you say so, your Majesty."-

"Well then," said Delbert. "Gentlemen. Tomorrow, it's off to the space port."

However, misfortune awaited the troop, which watched them from a sheltered area in the driving rain. A man in heavy armor and a grand head dress placed upon his head and reached the ground ending with two large feelers. Lord Lu Bu it was, observing the KH team's movements.

"So, you are positive they have the map leading to this Treasure Planet?" he said.

"That is correct." a hooded man, standing next to him said. "That boy, Jim Hawkins has a map."

"Without a doubt, those pirates will be after the treasure too."-

"They will easily be subdued, my lord."-

"You don't need to tell me that." Lu Bu observed the party, now leaving the Benbow Inn and heading for the Delbert estate. "We have to somehow capture that boy and force him to lead us to the treasure. Once he does that, and we achieve our objective, then the Empire will gain strong financial support."

"But what about Sora and the KH team?"

"There is nothing to fear! They wouldn't stand a chance against the mighty Lu Bu."-

"Tell me Lu Bu. What is it that you're fighting for? Do you truly fight for the sake of the Empire?"-

"I fight for myself and only for myself. I could care less about the Empire. Power and justice can only obtained through victory in battle."-

"Your rebellious and belligerent nature will get you into trouble, Lu Bu. You've gained a reputation of being a traitor. What is it that you're trying to gain?"

"Absolute strength."-

"In that case, you have a lot more to learn about what it means to fight."-

"Being a true warrior, I've already found my reason to fight. I need no further explanations."-


	16. Leading to Conflict

Leading to Conflict

The newly formed alliance, though still skeptical of each other's trust, had managed to trek a good few miles without any incident. While Sora and Riku scouted around with Delbert, Silver, and Jim, Goofy, Mickey, and Donald coordinated the giant gummi ship, Leviathan just above their heads.

"Any sign of those two?" Riku said, transmitting his message to Mickey in the cockpit of the Leviathan.

"Nothing yet." Mickey replied.

"Without any real tracking system, we won't be able to pinpoint their exact location." said Donald. "We can only go by heat sensors. And as you can see, this planet has its own well established eco system. There's definitely a lot of life down there with warm blood."

"Without any real location, it would be a while before we find Lu Bu and Osiris." said Sora.

It was then that there was a sudden ruffle in the bushes which caught the eyes of the team.

"Did you see that!" asked Delbert.

"What was that?" added Jim.

"Whatever it was, it was certainly big." Silver replied. He drew his cutlass and neared the bush. "Be on your guard."

Sora and Riku drew their blades, making ready to take down whatever it was that was beating around the bush.

"What's going on down there?" asked Mickey. "Why'd you stop?"

"There's something down here." Riku replied. "Whatever it is, it has a large body. Can you get a heat signature."

"We're analyzing now." But the reader could not pick up a large body of heat in the bushed. "The readings say nothing."

"Then what is it that could possibly be down here?"-

"If it accumulates no heat, it must be cold-blooded." Delbert explained.

"I'll take a look." said Jim. "Riku, Sora, back me up."

"Right." Sora replied. The three neared the underbrush where the large body was moving about. But suddenly something pounced out of the bushes, landing upon Jim. It was a rickety old robot, slightly rusted, and a few fray wires and loose bolts popping out of his metal frame.

"Oh boy!" he cried. "Living organisms of an intellectual level coming to save me at last."

"Who are you?" asked Jim.

"My name is...is..." the robot strained to remember. "B.E.N! Yes, my name is B.E.N! Biological Enhancement Navigator, or something like that!"

"What are you doing here?" asked Sora.

"You might say that I was stranded here a long time ago and..."-

"We don't have time to converse with a screw loose robot!" Jim stated. "We still have those pirates, Osiris and Lu Bu, to find!"

"Pirates!" B.E.N. interrupted. "Did you say pirates! Don't get me started on pirates! Why I remember Captain Flint! This guy had such a short temper and I..."

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Did you say you knew Captain Flint!"-

"I'd have to say that he was emotionally distressed to say the least! Well anyway, he..."

"No! No! I mean about his treasure! Flint's Trove! The loot of a thousand worlds! Any of this ringing a bell?"-

"Wait a minute." said B.E.N, pondering on the question delivered. "I remember! Treasure! Lots and lots of Treasure! Mountains of treasure! And a big door opening and closing, opening and closing! And then Flint told me we couldn't have any witnesses! So I helped him...!" B.E.N's system began to fail again and the robot went haywire. "Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Re...!"

"That's enough!" shouted Jim, slapping the robot in the face.

"And you are..." said B.E.N. as if his mind had gone blank.

"What about the treasure!"-

"I wanna say Larry!"-

"No! The treasure! What about the treasure!"-

"I'm sorry. My memory is a little bit fuzzy lately. You, by any chance, wouldn't have happened to stumble on my piece did you?"-

"Piece?"-

"My missing piece." B.E.N. turned his head around to reveal a small gap of frayed wires, as if something was attached to the back of his head before. "My main memory bank."

"If it's not too much trouble..." Sora uttered. "Don't you think we've hung around here long enough?"

"You in a hurry, Sora?" asked Jim.

"As a matter of fact, we are." replied Riku. "As far as we know, Lu Bu and Osiris have already gotten their hands on the treasure."

"What's going on down there?" asked Donald. "Why have you stopped?"

"Just a little situation at hand."-

"Listen, you bucket of bolts!" shouted Silver. "If you know about Flint's Trove then where is it!"

"Calm down, Silver!" said Jim. "He has no memory of where it is! He can only remember...!"

"I think I see my entire life flash before my eyes!" B.E.N. blathered out. "Was I ever dancing with an android named Lupe!"

"Shut your trap!"-

"Now gentlemen, this is no time to quarrel!" Delbert insisted.

Their mindless bickering continued, not aware that something was coming. Only Sora and Riku realized what was happening.

"Do you hear that?" asked Riku.

"Yeah." replied Sora. "Something is coming this way."

"Quiet you guys!" Silver, Jim, and Delbert stopped their chatter. Riku drew his sword and held it to his side. "Something is coming this way."-

"How can you tell?" asked Jim.

"Can't you hear that?"-

They opened their ears to what Riku had pointed out and could hear what sounded like a rumble of jets in the distance.

"Fellers!" shouted Goofy, from the cockpit. "Something's smashing through the trees, moving towards ya!"

"We've detected a large heat source coming this way!" added Donald. "Two large heat sources to be precise!"

"Thank you for pointing that out!" said Sora. "We can see them from our level!"

"They've come back for more then." said Riku.

"Who is it?" asked Delbert.

"Lu Bu and Osiris!"-

"Oh no!" said Jim. "Those two again!"

"They'll pay for what they've done to me crew!" shouted Silver.

"Here they come!" Sora hollered.

The two warriors swooped down onto the ground, causing great clouds of dust to bellow into the air. They landed softly on their feet, side by side.

"Well, what do you guys want now?" said Riku.

"We've come for that boy!" Lu Bu replied. "The one who carried the map before!"

"What do you need him for?"-

"We came to a dilemma." said Osiris. "The map is armed with an access code which can only be opened if the figures are placed in the right order. And since Jim Hawkins is the only one who can open it, we've returned to implore him."

"So you couldn't open it without my help then could you." said Jim, smirking.

"I wouldn't laugh it I were you, boy!" said Lu Bu, angrily. Lu Bu gave the ball of Jim. "Open it!"

"Why that..." Sora uttered, reaching for his sword, but Riku held him back.

"Can you feel that?" he asked. "Lu Bu and Osiris haven't dropped their guard. They know that if we try anything, they'll unleash their full strength." Sora quickly backed down.

"What are you waiting for, boy!" shouted Lu Bu. "Open it!"

"Do as we say, Jim." Osiris pleaded. "Otherwise, I have no other choice, but to step in. You don't want to see Lu Bu angry." The wind began to accelerate around them. Jim glared at the two as he unlocked the maps code. Within seconds, the area was covered by a holographic image of the entire galaxy. But immediately, the galactic format regressed to a simple line, which led to the precise location of the treasure.

"Excellent." said Lu Bu. "Alright boy! You've served your purpose! Now, let me have that map!"

But Jim retracted the map back into its secure little sphere.

"You want the map, you take me with you." Jim uttered.

"Very well!" Lu Bu using the back of his Maelstrom pike, slugged Jim in the gut. The boy, having the wind knocked out of him, was rendered unconscious and fell to the ground. Lu Bu picked him up. "We have what we want!"

"You bastard!" cried Sora, lunging forth with his sword unsheathed. But Osiris only used his gust of wind to blow the attackers away.

"You won't be going anywhere!" chuckled Lu Bu. "Osiris, now that we have what we want, I leave you to take care of these fools!"

"Understood." Osiris replied. Taking Jim in one arm, Lu Bu departed from the area, leaving the KH team to deal with Osiris.


	17. Challenge of Warriors

A Challenge of Warriors

The situation had turned against the KH team once again. Lu Bu had managed to take Jim Hawkins captive and took the map for himself. Sora and the others could do nothing to stop Lu Bu because of the individual who impeded their path. Standing Eagle, widely known as Osiris, prevented their attempt to pursue Lu Bu.

"Stand aside!" shouted Riku.

"I can't do that!" replied Osiris. "I have a goal to achieve! The goal of fulfilling our mission and sending the treasure back to the Empire!"

"We won't let you do that!" said Mickey.

"And what do you intend to do about it!"-

"We intend to fight!" shouted Sora.

"Sorry, my friend." Osiris uttered. "But I can't permit you to do that."

"Why not?"-

"Because I know for a fact that you wouldn't stand a chance against me."-

"Is that so?"-

"I'm afraid that's the reality." Osiris began to increase his power. The more power unleashed, the stronger the wind became. The KH team was starting to lose ground. "You've seen what I'm capable of doing. That should be the first clue that you stand no chance against the likes of me."-

"Well, we won't know unless we try!"-

"You can try all you want, Sora. But even your strong will to endure would not be enough to withstand the true power of the wind master."-

"Then, I'll take you up on that!" Sora sheathed his sword and stepped forward towards the shinobi. Pointing his finger at the ninja he announced his intention. "Osiris! I challenge you to a one on one duel!"

"Sora!" Riku protested. "Are you out of your mind!"

"Don't worry about it, Riku!" Sora chuckled. "I can do it! If you can engage in a one on one fight, then I can do the same too!"

"But this isn't a game, Sora!"-

"I know, but I also want to face at least one of these guys in a one on one fight. Besides, you got to fight Anubis one on one. Now, it's my turn."-

"This is not a contest of egos, Sora! This is serious! The only reason why I fought Anubis one on one was because we had another mission to fulfill! And that was to stop those mobile dolls from destroying the Earth and ZAFT!"-

"This predicament is the same." Sora walked up to Riku and whispered. "The reason why I do this is so while I'm fighting Osiris, you and the others go and rescue Jim. We can't have Lu Bu gain access to the treasure."

"I guess you're right, Sora. But this guy's strength is incredible. He makes Anubis look like a joke."-

"Don't worry, Riku. I can handle him. Just have faith in me."-

There was a silence between to two boys as each looked into each others eyes.

"Alright." Riku uttered. "I leave the situation to you."

"Thanks, Riku." Sora replied, hugging his best friend.

"OK! OK! Don't get all mushy over me!"-

Sora turned to confront Osiris and pointed his finger towards the shinobi once again.

"Well, Osiris!" shouted Sora, gleefully. "What do you say! Will you accept my challenge!" But Osiris began to laugh maniacally.

"You fool!" he chuckled. "Do you think me for a simpleton! I know what it is you're planning! By challenging me to a one on one duel, you're stalling time for your friends! While you and I fight, they will go ahead and stop Lu Bu from gaining access to Flint's Trove! And by fighting me one on one, your friends will save a lot of time and effort when it comes to the upcoming battle with Lu Bu!"

"So I take it that you're not going to accept my challenge?"-

"Are you kidding! I'd love to fight you one on one! Two warriors fight to the death! I like that! Besides, if I know Lu Bu, you'll need all the strength you can muster!" He walked up to Sora. "I accept your challenge, Sora!"

"Alright!" Sora turned to his friends. "OK guys! Time for you to go and get Jim and the map back from that monster!"

"We gotcha!" said Mickey. "Let's go!"

"Oh...uh...here." said Goofy, handing a senzu bean to Sora. "You might need it just in case."

"Thanks Goofy." Sora uttered.

"Are you sure you're alright with this?" asked Riku.

"I'm sure."-

"You take care of yourself, alright?" Riku placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora took hold of his hand.

"I will. I'll come back alive."-

Riku nodded his head. Then turning towards the others, he gave the signal to advance.

"OK, you guys!" he ordered. "Mickey, Donald, Goofy! Get the gummi ship fired up and let's track down, Lu Bu!"

"Right!" they replied. Riku turned to Delbert, Silver, and B.E.N.

"Well, don't just stand there, get in!"-

"Yes!" replied Delbert. "Right away!"

"Oh Boy!" shouted B.E.N. "We're gonna go on a trip! We're gonna go on a trip!"

"Shut your noise, you!" said Silver, grabbing the mechanical man and pulling him into the gummi ship. "We have treasure to find!"

Riku stepped into the ship, looking back at Sora who now confronted the next of the Cavendish Shinobis all on his own.

"Stay alive, Sora. That's all I'm hoping for."-

The doors on the gummi ship closed and the Leviathan, hovering in the air with its immensely loud boosters, continued on its way to find Lu Bu, leaving the two duelists to battle on the grassy field.

"So it comes down to you and me then." said Sora.

"Let us begin our little match." Osiris replied.

"If you don't mind, because I'm in bit of a hurry, can we skip the warm up?"-

"You won't be going anywhere if your dead though. So don't jump the gun just yet."-

"Pardon me. But it won' be me that'll be dying today."-

"We'll see about that." Osiris began to power up with incredible speed. The winds began to blow around him. But still Sora didn't flinch. "I take no pleasure in killing a worthy opponent."

Meanwhile, Lu Bu had stopped for a while, dropping Jim on the ground. Jim, still unconscious remained motionless on the ground.

"Get up boy!" Lu Bu shouted. "Open up that map and lead me to the loot of a thousand worlds!"

"Why...should I?" Jim uttered, staggering to his feet. But Lu Bu picked him up by the throat.

"You'll do it if you value your life."-

"If you kill me, then you'll never see single coin, or jewel of that treasure."-

"I could care less on whether you lived, or died. The fact of the matter is, even if you die, the Empire will chart this planet in and out and will search every square inch until the treasure is found. So your death would be in vain." Lu Bu threw Jim to the ground. "Besides, death is eternity. And I don't think you want to spend the rest of eternity in death do you!" Jim, having no other choice in the matter, began to unlock the maps code.

"No Jim!" a voice cried out. "Don't do it!"

Jim and Lu Bu looked up to see the Leviathan coming in for a landing. From the descending gummi ship, Riku landed onto the ground. Presenting himself before Jim and Lu Bu, he drew his sword at the giant warrior.

"Well, you guys are more resourceful than I expected." said Lu Bu. "But your efforts to track us down was in vain. If you insist on getting in my way, then I have no option but to kill you."

"You're not going to go any further." said Riku. "This fight is between you and me."

"Us too!" shouted Mickey as he and others landed safely on the ground. "We can't let you fight this guy on your own, Riku!"

"He's right." added Goofy. "'All for one and one for all' as we always say."

"We'll fight him together." said Donald.

"Jim are you OK?" asked Delbert, running to his friend. Jim slowly rose to his feet. "You're not hurt are you?"

"Not really."-

"You best be gettin' to safety, Jimbo." uttered Silver. "This is no place for you to be. Stay out of harm until we win this thing."

"But why?"-

"What would the point be in us trekking all the way here if you died? You're the only one who can open the map, my boy."-

"He has a good point there, Jim." added Delbert. "It's best that we observe this fight from a safe distance."

"What about you, Silver?" asked Jim.

"Don't you be worrying about me." Silver replied. "I'll stay here and battle this here ruffian."

"Silver." said Riku. "I suggest you stay behind and protect Jim."

"But I'm going to fight! I have to take revenge for what he did to me crew! I won't just let him...!"

"But if something happens to us, then you will be the only one that stands in the way of the treasure and Lu Bu. I leave Jim and Dr. Doppler in your care."-

"Very well then." Silver turned to his comrades. "Alright you two, let's get out of here."

"OK." said Jim. The three retreated to the rear while Riku and the others stayed to confront the mighty Lu Bu. Lu Bu only chuckled silently to himself.

"You worthless fodder." he uttered. "You've stayed behind to fight me then? You've made a terrible mistake, my friends. A terrible mistake!"

"It is you who's made the terrible mistake." said Riku. "You're outnumbered now and we don't have to hold back any further without anyone else, besides us four, getting hurt."

"Don't think that there's safety in numbers here. I could take on twelve of you."-

"We'll just see about that."-

"Fodder! Come an die!" Lu Bu suddenly rushed the group. "And don't hold back! The one thing I can't tolerate the most is when my opponents don't take me seriously!"

"Don't you worry about that!"-

"Let's get him!" shouted Mickey. The four attacked with great ferocity, but Lu Bu only brushed them aside with his pike like insects. Still, the KH team attacked with all they had.

"We four members of the Kingdom Hearts group will put an end to your tyranny!" said Donald.

"You shall feel the might of our steel!" added Mickey.

"Let's get him!" shouted Goofy. "Come on!"

"Heh! You dogs are all bark and no bite!" chuckled Lu Bu. "Pitiful! Can you do no better than this!"

"I'll show you!" shouted Riku.

The continued with the KH team attacking the brutish warrior head on. The grand fighter however brushed his attackers off if they were flies. Simultaneously, they assaulted him, and each time, Lu Bu stood their attacks.

In the meantime, Sora and Osiris were duking it out in an impressive confrontation of skill and strength. Osiris, acting as a shinobi, eluded Sora's sight and attacked him when he least expected it. Sora was continuously on his guard, dodging and deflecting any attack thrown by Osiris.

"Come now, Sora!" said Osiris. "I was hoping for a real fight, not a side show!"

Again Osiris went on the prowl, attacking Sora when he least suspected it. Sora dodged again when the shinobi charged him again.

"This guy is tougher than I thought." Sora thought to himself. "No! I can't allow myself to be intimidated by him. I'll just allow him to show himself off for a while."

Again the shinobi attacked with great swiftness, descending upon Sora from behind. Sora turned again, only to be pummeled by the shinobi again.

"I have to somehow strike him when he least expects it." Sora thought. "The only way I can strike him when he goes on the offensive is to stand still and keep myself open."

Sora instead decided to stand still, opening himself to any attack. Osiris saw this and suspected that Sora was expecting him to attack.

"Won't work on me!" he chuckled. Osiris deployed a whirlwind and launched it against Sora. Sora suddenly saw himself caught in a vortex of strong winds. The twister pummeled him around in its funnel before diminishing into the atmosphere, dropping the young warrior onto the ground. Sora slowly rose to his feet.

"Well, I didn't see that one coming." he uttered to himself.

"What did you think of that?" asked Osiris. "Not bad I have to say." Sora slowly stood up to face Osiris. "Listen Sora. I'm starting to get a little bit bored with this. Now, since I am the chivalrous type, I'll make a deal with you. Now, I won't kill you, but if you manage to get at least three effective strikes on me, then I'll withdraw from this fight. You see in my entire career as a member of the Cavendish Shinobis, no one has ever managed to hit me once. So, if you manage to get at least three hits on me, I will diminish myself and withdraw from this battle."

"But why would you make such a deal? You have a mission to fulfill don't you?"-

"But that doesn't mean that I can't have any fun in the process. By offering you this challenge, I could see where you stand in strength."-

"Alright then. I accept your challenge and I'll show you just how powerful I can be! I'll be the first one to ever strike you down!"-

"That's right, Sora! Keep telling yourself that! Boost your confidence! Just don't cry when you lose! We keep fighting until you're drained of all your strength! Just be grateful that I'm not in a bad mood today and have decided to let you live with your humiliation of defeat rather than taking your life!"-

"Enough talking!"-

Sora began his run again, but once more the shinobi evaded and dodged Sora, eluding him for a further round.

"He's calm." Sora thought to himself. "Too calm. Why is it that he's so calm? Could it be that he has nothing to fear from me?" Just then, Osiris emerged again before the young warrior, hovering in the air as if taunting him.

"Tell me, Sora. This girl you fight for, is she really worth going through all this trouble?" asked Osiris.

"Kairi is always worth fighting for!" Sora replied.

"Don't you see the bigger picture though. A universe is on the verge of destruction, but you only care about a girl."-

"Both the universe and Kairi are worth saving! What are you getting at anyway!"-

"If you were to choose one, which would you fight for? Would you fight for one you love so dearly, or would you fight for a million faces which you don't know?"-

"Well, I would..."-

"If you choose to fight for that one person you love, then you have chosen a weak motive. A cause that is insignificant to everything else."-

"The cause to save Kairi is not insignificant!" said Sora. "She is all the world to me! And that is worth fighting for!"

"So, you're saying that you're willing to sacrifice a million innocent strangers for the sake of one person? Now tell me, do you think that's logical!"-

"Stop it! Be quiet!"-

Suddenly, Osiris appeared behind Sora and deployed what looked like crescent shaped objects at the keybearer. Sora dodged the attacks, but realized that even though the objects passed by harmlessly, they still managed to create cuts on his face.

"Did you like that attack?" asked Osiris. "That's just one of my minor attacks that I like to call Wind Shurikens. They are actually composed of compressed air which has been accelerated to an incredible speed. With the proper air pressure and the right amount of speed, the wind develops a cutting edge. As you can see, the results have had some rather severe consequences."

Sora wiped his face of the blood and rubbed it between his fingers.

"Who am I dealing with?" Sora said to himself. "I have to watch out for this guy. He may try something like that a second time."

"Tell me, Sora! Is this really what you want, to suffer so much for the sake of a loved one!"

"Silence you!" Sora demanded. "I don't like the way you're bad mouthing Kairi!"

"You must be her lover then."-

"We're just friends! But she's a friend who'd I be willing to fight and die for! I'd do the same for all my friends!"-

"Really! Then, why don't you focus on the issue at hand! While we stand here talking, your other friends are probably being severely injured in the fight against Lu Bu! Can you hear their screams! I can! They desperately need you!"-

"Don't let him fool you!" Sora said to himself.

"Tell me! What is it that you really want out of all this! Affection! Unity!"-

"I just want to be together with all my friends! As far as I know, Kairi is alone and frightened wherever she is! I have to rescue her!"-

"You fight for a weak cause! You fight for the sake of a friend, who would in the near future forget about everything that you've done for her!"-

"That's not true!"-

"Human ignorance is painful! She'll eventually forget your efforts! She only wishes for you to save her, but when you finally do, you'll only be given a pat on the back and things will go back to what they were! And all your efforts would eventually diminish out of their memories! That's what people always do! They always forget! Always remain ungrateful for the suffering and efforts that others have gone through just for them!"

"Shut up!"-

"But why! That is the reality, Sora!"-

"I said shut up!" He attacked with great ferocity, but the shinobi easily evaded.

"Try this on!" Osiris lunged forth with a new attack. A powerful sound wave bellowed forth, knocking Sora off his feet. He could feel as the air was blew passed him as he fell to the ground. Sora slowly staggered, seeing the shinobi glaring at him like a vulture.

"As I said before, the cause you fight for has weak motivations." said Osiris. "As we stand here fighting, thousands of other worlds are falling victim to the Empire. You say that you are willing to protect the masses as well as your friends, but in reality you can only look after one, or the other. Delay in trying to save those people, and you increase the chances that your friend should suffer. The same happens to the masses if you brush them aside to save a friend. But it's the way this universe works, to help one, you must forsake the other."

"Is my cause so insignificant?" Sora began to question himself. "Have I neglected the reality of the situation, hoping that everything will be alright?" Sora pounded his fist on the ground. "No! I'm not wrong! My cause isn't insignificant! I am protecting someone! I may not be able to protect all people, but I can at least save one!" Sora stood up, his sword in his hand gleaming in the bright sun. "I am not wrong! My cause is worth fighting for! I fight to protect a loved one! That is a cause that is always worth fighting and dying for!"

"But that cause is rendered meaningless if your strive so hard only fail in the end! To see those loved one's of yours die and you're not able to do anything about it! As far as you know, that girl is dead!"-

"You're wrong! You're wrong!"-

Sora attacked the shinobi in blind fury. The two grappled violently against each other, but it was clear that Osiris had the upper hand over Sora. He deployed several other wind attacks to repel and anger Sora. Sora, still determined to point out that Osiris was wrong, continued his assault that were many times in vain. Sora hadn't even touched his opponent, let alone delivered a severe blow. It became crystal clear that delivering three blows would not be as easy as Sora expected.

"That's right! She's dead now! They killed her! And the worst part is that you never even knew it!" Osiris continued to mock. "There's nothing you can do against me!"

"Stop talking!" shouted Sora. But again as he lunged at Osiris with his sword, Osiris kneed him in the gut. Sora fell to the ground in pain, his sword falling close by his side.

"I can't believe that you and your friends were the ones who took out Isis, Horus, and Anubis." Osiris uttered in sheer disappointment. "I thought I was gonna fight a warrior that was strong in heart, mind, and body, but I was wrong and a fool to get my hopes up on a climactic battle with the legendary keybearer. You are a waste of my time Sora. Just as your time is wasted on trying to save a girl."

"I don't understand it." Sora thought. "How is this guy beating me? I can predict his every move, but I can't seem to coordinate myself very well." It then dawned on Sora on how Osiris was able to gain such a great advantage over him. "That's it. I know how he does it."

"What's the matter, Sora?" said Osiris in a sarcastic manner. "You giving up already! What a waste of my time alright! I shouldn't have agreed to a one on one fight with you! You are just a pathetic excuse for a warrior! I can't believe I put such much high faith in you!"

But Sora stood up and sighed. He shook his head and smirked.

"You just don't get it do you." he uttered.

"What do you mean?" the shinobi asked.

"You don't know what it truly means to fight."-

"You dare to lecture me about a cause."-

"At least I'm fighting to protect someone I love. You however, fight for a cause that erupts all worlds into chaos. You fight for the sake of your own selfish gain. Isn't that right?"-

"And what if it is?"-

"What exactly are you fighting for, Osiris?"-

"For the sake of the Empire. To assure that it rules over all worlds."-

"But once you achieve that, what would you have accomplished for yourself? Would you be satisfied with the result?"-

"If it is to end the chaos, then I fight with my full body and soul."-

"But chaos can never fully be extinguished so long as there are two who are able to start a conflict."-

"But that will change with the coming of total domination over all worlds by the Dark Empire!"-

"But what have you gained? Have you gained happiness? Have you gained a sense of justice? Would you truly be satisfied with the thought of the Dark Empire taking over everything? If the Dark Empire succeeds, then the lifestyle of many people will die!"-

Suddenly, Osiris was struck by a memories of old, when he was still a young boy. He envisioned his father, his mother, his family. Then suddenly, chaos and blood entered his mind. Images which flashed in his mind in split seconds, coming down on him like rain.

"Is that what you really want!" Sora continued. "Do you really want to see the destruction of all other cultures for the sake of unification!"

Once again, the two remained at a stand off. Sora however found the worth of his cause. Now it was Osiris who questioned his cause. The table of battle had now turned in Sora's favor.

At the same time, Riku and the others continued their battle against the mighty Lu Bu. Lu Bu, a warrior of exceptional strength, did not easily falter when confronted by the KH group. His heavy armor and large pike made him a force to be reckoned with. And because his body had been conditioned to bear such heavy equipment, it was easy for him to move about with ease. Riku and the others eventually lost ground and had to withdraw from the fight to regain their stamina.

They stood in a group gasping for breath. The fight had taken a lot of strength out of them.

"Alright." said Mickey. "Where did we lose control of this fight."

"Maybe someone should tell him that we're the good guys." added Donald. "This is not how it's supposed to happen."

"It doesn't work that way." Riku uttered. "Up to this point, we've been attacking him one at a time, simultaneously. What we need to do is attack him from different directions at the same time."

"But we would risk putting each other in danger."-

"Then we'll have to be careful won't we."-

"Are you sure about this, Riku?"-

"What other choice do we have."-

"I'm willing to try it." said Goofy.

"Me too." added Mickey.

"Then, let's go for it!" Riku replied.

The four ran about and surrounded Lu Bu from all sides. Lu Bu gazed at each of his opponents.

"Planning to attack me from different directions at the same time, I see." he uttered to himself. "When will you ever learn."

"Let's get him!" cried Riku. The four attack from their positions at the same time, but Riku realized that Lu Bu was only smirking.

"Why even try!" shouted Lu Bu. He suddenly pounded his foot on the ground and a powerful sonic boom blew his attackers away. Riku and the others went flying through the air, landing fifty yards away from Lu Bu. Riku managed to regain his stance and jumped to his feet. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy on the other hand fell straight on their faces.

"Did anyone get the number of that rig?" Mickey groaned.

"That was no rig." Donald uttered. "That was a freight train."

"Well whatever it was, it certainly knocked the wind out of us."-

"Mickey! Donald! Goofy! Are you guys alright!" Riku shouted.

"We're alright!" Mickey replied.

"Oooh! Look at all the pretty stars!" Goofy uttered, as a ring of stars hovered over his head.

"You're lucky!" said Donald. "You got stars! All I got were stupid birds!" The ring of birds still flew around Donald's head before he had to forcibly shoo them away. "Will you get out of here you stupid birds!"

"Come on guys!" shouted Riku. "We gotta keep going!"

"Let's get him again!" shouted Mickey. He and Riku attacked Lu Bu head on, but Lu Bu once again pounded his foot into the ground. This time, Riku and Mickey were ready, bracing themselves for impact. However, the blast still managed to break their stance. Riku regained his stamina, but as he did he realized that Lu Bu was coming straight for him. Lu Bu struck at Riku, making severe blows with his pike. With a sudden swipe of the pike, the warrior caused Riku to fly through the air a hundred yards before tumbling on the ground.

"How do you like that attack!" chuckled Lu Bu.

"Riku!" cried Mickey. "Are you alright!"

Lu Bu began to walk over to where Riku was, but Mickey and the others ran and stood in his path.

"Don't go any closer to him!" said Donald.

"Do ya think we can stop him all by ourselves?" asked Goofy.

"I don't know."-

"We have to try." said Mickey. "We have to fight him off."

"If you value your lives, stand down!" Lu Bu shouted.

"We can't and we won't! We intend to fight and defeat you, Lu Bu! We won't run away!"-

"Then, you're making a big mistake!"-

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy took their stance and prepared to battle the giant. But Riku suddenly made his way in front of them.

"Riku?" uttered Goofy.

"What are you doing Riku?" asked Donald.

"I'm going to fight." uttered Riku

"But you're hurt."-

"At least that's one fatality. I don't want to gain anymore."-

"What do you mean?"-

"I want you guys to withdraw from this fight. I'll take Lu Bu on myself."-

"You can't!" said Goofy.

"Yeah!" added Mickey. "You'll be killed!"

"Please let me do this." Riku uttered. "Have faith in me."

"But why do you want to face him alone?"-

"In reality, I can't fight without having to worry about your safety too."-

"But we're all in the same predicament."-

"We're a team, Riku!" said Goofy. "And we're gonna stick by you to the bitter end."

"Are you guys really willing to do that?" said Riku. "But what if the worst were to happen? If we fall today, who would continue the quest for find Kairi and stop the Empire's expansion?"

"He has a point." said Mickey. "Alright Riku. I see what you're driving at." Mickey withdrew his keyblade and began to fall back. "Goofy, Donald, let's retreat for now."

"But your Majesty?" uttered Donald.

"It would serve no purpose to die today. Riku can handle himself if we believe in him."-

"Gawrsh." said Goofy. "Are we doing the right thing?"

"Riku will win. We just have to believe."-

"Alright." Donald replied.

"OK, Riku. He's all yours."-

"Thanks Mickey."-

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy withdrew to a safe distance, joining Jim Hawkins and the others who were watching the fight from behind a line of trees, a hundred yards away. Riku took his sword and held it before him.

"Now, it's just the two of us." Riku uttered.

"Attacking alone?" said Lu Bu. "What are you stupid?"-

"Stupid, or not. I can't allow you to harm my companions any further."-

"Putting all the burden's weight on your shoulders, eh! You're brave! I'll give you that much!" Lu Bu drew his pike and lashed it out before Riku. "But do you really dare to stand against the mighty Lu Bu!"-

"You'll pay for all the suffering you caused! Today, I will cause your downfall!"-

"Just keep barking!"-

The two made their stances, ready to continue in a one on one fight. Riku's face sweated from the anxiety, but he held his ground. Now he stood alone against this most legendary of Chinese warriors.

"Sora." Riku uttered to himself. "I hope you're having better luck than I am."

Luck had been gained in Sora's favor as he managed to find the soft spot which caused emotional sensitivity within Osiris. Something had been triggered by Sora because now Osiris was now the one who felt insecure. This was painfully obvious now due to the slight shift in accuracy and timing in Osiris's attacks.

"What's the matter with him?" Sora thought to himself. "He's slightly slower than he was before. What's wrong with him."

"I am not wrong." Osiris uttered to himself. "I do this for the good of the universe. To assure that all worlds will be under the control of the Dark Empire. But if I were to fulfill that, I would be..." flashbacks began to appear in his head, further nullifying Osiris's ability to stay focused. "...be no different."

"What's wrong with you!" said Sora. "Why all of a sudden, are you losing your grip!"

"Shut your noise!" shouted Osiris. "Don't change the fact that we're still enemies and still in combat!"

"What!"-

"I'll win this! I am a warrior! I have no remorse for my enemies, or my opponents!"-

Osiris attacked Sora head on, swooping down from the sky. But Sora saw the attack and reacted in time. Using his Stopga spell, he paralyzed Osiris for a period of seconds, but it was enough time to land his first effective strike. With his sword still sheathed, Sora struck Osiris in the gut, forcing the shinobi to pummel to the ground. The ninja slowly arose, his face displaying an expression of shock and anger. He stood on his feet and turned towards Sora sneering.

"No one has ever done that to me!" he growled.

"Well, there's always a first!" Sora replied. "And as far as I know, that was hit number one! Two more hits and you withdraw from this fight!"

"Well, I'll be sure not to distract myself this time!"-

Osiris began to use after images, attempting to distract Sora and hopefully put him of guard. Osiris hovered around like a ghost around the young keybearer. However, his emotional stress was still present for his movements were not as consistent as before.

"There's something wrong." Sora thought to himself. "Is he doing this on purpose? Is he deliberately allowing me to see his movements? I wonder what's going through his head!"

Suddenly, Osiris assaulted Sora again, but his strike was predicted by Sora and he was able to avoid the attack of the ninja. Once again, as Osiris passed by, Sora took the sheath of his sword and struck him at the back of the neck. Osiris once again fell to the ground, tumbling to the dirt causing clouds of dust to accumulate in the atmosphere. Sora backed off, allowing the shinobi to rise to his feet again. By this time, Osiris's expression was that of pure rage.

"That bastard!" he uttered. "He's making a mockery of me! He's laughing at me!"

"Osiris." Sora uttered. "I can't help think that there's some sort of nagging feeling at the back of you mind."

"Don't you dare to presume such a notion!" shouted Osiris.

"What's gotten in to you? You were so calm and confident only a few minutes ago. But now all of a sudden, you're acting sluggishly as if you don't want to fight me. What's going on Osiris? Or should I say Standing Eagle."

"Don't you dare utter my birth name!" shouted Osiris. "Don't you dare unleash the human side of me! In battle, I am ruthless and bloodthirsty!"

"But from what I can see, you're not the type who enjoys killing! Otherwise, you would have killed me already!"-

"Don't you dare assume what I won't do!" Osiris began to accumulate his power to the max. The wind had grown intense now, blowing Sora off his feet. "This time, I finish you!"

He suddenly unleashed a powerful twister, at least and F5. The twister went charging at Sora, pulling him into the vortex. Sora was spun around violently in the twister. Osiris suddenly deployed his wind shurikens and sent them into the vortex. The shurikens began to tear and cut at Sora and the young warrior could only scream in agony as he felt the sting of each shuriken when they gut his flesh.

"No!" Sora cried. "I won't go like this!" Unsheathing his sword, he deployed his Graviga spell. The intense gravity pulled the powerful twister to the ground, diminishing it completely. Sora landed on the ground dropping his sword by his side. But he then saw Osiris suddenly attack him head on.

"This time, you go down for good!" shouted Osiris. "I change my mind! Because of what you have done to me, I will kill you!"

Sora took the sheath and struck at Osiris. At the same time, Osiris launched a powerful wind punch. So both combatants were knocked of their feet. But Sora went down with a smile.

"That's three." he uttered, before hitting the ground. He lay there battered and bleeding. His body had grown heavy and his breathing had labored itself.

"You think that this is over?" Osiris said, as he crawled to Sora. "I intend to kill you and I will!" He straddled himself onto Sora's stomach and lashed his finger around his throat, choking the keybearer. Sora tried to grasp his arms, attempting to resist. His legs thrashed about mildly. "Die Sora! Die!"

"Don't do this..." Sora uttered, but was gagged by the pressure of Osiris's fingers wrapped around his throat. "Please...don't do this..."

"I'll strangle you!" shouted Osiris, with a sinister look on his feet. Sora began to lose consciousness.

"I've come so far..." said Sora to himself. "But only to have it end here..." Tears began to pour from his eyes. Osiris saw these tears in his victim's eyes and slowly began to release Sora. Osiris suddenly began to cry and fell upon Sora, hid head landing on Sora's chest. His fingers released Sora's throat and Sora began to cough and gasp harshly for air.

"I can't..." Osiris said. "I can't do it..." He got off of Sora and closed himself in a ball. Sora slowly arose and kneeled by the ninja.

"Why didn't you finish me like you said you were going to?" asked Sora.

"Because you had that same look in your eye as my father did." Osiris replied.

"Your father?"-

"It's a long story. I don't want to talk about it."-

"Tell me."-

"I don't want to talk about it!" Osiris pushed Sora away and turned his back, but Sora persisted.

"I might be able to help you."-

"You can't help me! Just kill me! Let me die!"-

"Why would you want me to do that!"-

"I want to join my family!"-

"Tell me!" Sora kneeled in front of the warrior.

"If I tell you, will you kill me!"-

Sora hesitated, but nodded his head, agreeing to fulfill Osiris's request.

"Tell me."-

"I remember every detail." Osiris began. "I was and am still a member of the Lakota Sioux. My family and I were returning to the Sioux reservation in South Dakota, to rejoin the rest of our clan. It was my mother, my father, my older brother and sister, and my grandmother. We had returned from a nearby white settlement, doing trade at the local market. We had been shunned from that settlement and the white man scorned to see us there. To prevent a confrontation, we left the town heading back to the rest of our tribe. But when we were nearing our homelands, we were suddenly harassed by rogue soldiers. 'Filthy heathens' they called us. They began to harass us, threaten us, and disturb the tranquility of the morning. I could remember the look on my family's faces as the soldiers began to look about the camp sight we made. They ravaged our teepee and threw out belongings about like trash. Then suddenly, one of the soldiers began to sexually approach my mother, but my father would not allow it. With his concealed knife, he struck the soldier in the gut. The soldier fell dying, but the others immediately retaliated. They shot my father, wounding him in the leg. My mother, grandmother, sister, and brother tried to stop the soldiers, but they shot my family point blank. My father wrapped himself around me, gazing down at me. That's when I remembered seeing that sparkle in his eyes. He was crying and I have never seen my father cry before. 'Stay alive' he said to me. 'Take revenge for what they've done to us, but remember to attack ruthlessly only those who did you injustice.' Then, there was a gunshot and my father toppled over me, still crouching. I remained still as the soldiers took what they needed and rode away. When the coast was clear, I emerged from my father's arms to see my whole family dead on the ground. I grew angry and sword revenge. But little did I know that a soldier still dwelled there. He found me and chased me through the plains. He suddenly caught up with me and threw me to the ground. Taking out his pistol, he dared to shoot me. But suddenly, a figure appeared and slew the soldier. I gazed up to see him, General Kai of the Cavendish Shinobis. 'Come with me and I will teach you how to exact your revenge' he told me. And so I went with him and he gave me to power of wind. I mastered the element and perfected its effectiveness. At the same time, I was taught psychology and I was fascinated with it. I used it in battle effectively, causing my opponents to lose focus, or suffer emotional distress. I never thought that it would be used against me like this. Years later, I took my revenge and killed those who killed my family. But these same soldiers had long since retired from their military careers. Still, I exacted my revenge for my family and killed these men. But the eyes I saw, they were the same as my father when he died. When explaining it to General Kai he told me 'If you wish to halt this bloodshed entirely, you must unify all people. That is what we are trying to do, Standing Eagle. If we can unify all worlds, we can end this chaos. Go and kill all who oppose us. Cause their blood to spill on the ground and let people see its tragedy. Once they realize this, they will cease resistance and halt their ways of blood. Unify this universe for the greatness of the Empire.' And that is what I did. But as time passed, I realized that people had died and yet nothing changed. I continued to see that spark and I could never kill without a sense of remorse, or regret. 'Keep all life sacred' my father told me 'whether they be friend, or foe, never forsake them.' But I could not leave the ranks of the Empire because I had made it my home. But my home had turned to a path where it is responsible for causing the great amount of suffering. That is why I fight and kill. But I can't take it anymore. I can't kill people for the sake of a cause. But I can't withdraw from the place I have already dubbed as my home."

Tears now rushed down Osiris's face in torrents. His face turned red with sadness. He suddenly felt Sora place his hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for telling me." Sora uttered.

"You said that you would kill me." the young man uttered. "You promised."

"But do you really want me to kill you when you have so much to repent for? Do you really think your father would want you to die without having you live your life in the way both you and he intended? You may not be able to change everything that's happened, but you can make up for it. Make up for the lives you took. It's very easy to kill yourself and end it all. It's much harder to keep on living."

"Sora, I..."-

"If you ever need someone to talk to, you always have us."-

"You?"-

"General Kai only wishes to have you as a disposable pawn. If you lose your sense of purpose, he will reject you. But if you consider us as you friends, we'll never abandon you."-

Osiris began to cry heavily, throwing his face into Sora's lap. Sora placed his hand on Osiris's head and patted him gently.

"It'll be alright." said Sora. "It'll be alright."

Helping Osiris to his feet, Sora picked up his sword and drew it back into the sheath. He then began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Osiris.

"I also have friends who need my help. If you would like to tag along, I'll be happy to have you."-

"No." Osiris said, wiping his eyes of tears. "I need to have time to myself to think right now."

"Alright then." said Sora. "Then take care of yourself...Standing Eagle."

Osiris could only watch as Sora disappeared into the distance. Stoking the eagle feathers hanging from his hair, presents from his father, he pondered about his path.

"My father said he'd place these feathers upon my head when I was older." he thought to himself. "I placed these feathers on my head to make him proud of me. But because of the path I've taken, am I unworthy to wear these in his honor. Father, mother, I will choose the correct path and find my own truth." He sat down on the green grass and lifted his knees to his chin. With a heavy heart, the young Sioux warrior wept in sadness.


	18. The Mighty Lu Bu

The Mighty Lu Bu

The battle continued on as Riku went one on one with the mighty warrior Lu Bu. However, Lu Bu was not one to be easily thwarted as he easily predicted every move Riku made. The power he accumulated was intolerable. Using the massive pike to do most of the damage, he swung away at Riku relentlessly.

"What's wrong, Riku!" said Lu Bu. "Not going as smoothly as you had expected!"

Riku lunged forward striking Lu Bu with one of his swift attacks, but the impact of the assault had no effect on Lu Bu. Due to the heavy armor he wore, Lu Bu was arms much like a tank. And because he was used to the weight, Lu Bu could glide in the armor as if on air, which explained the easy retaliatory strikes he inflicted on Riku.

"You should consider yourself lucky!" chuckled Lu Bu. "Lucky that I haven't withdrawn the protective case from my blade! Your body might be able to withstand hits from the blunt blade, but it would never be able to stand up to the impact of my polished blade!"

"You mean, you haven't been using your sharpened blade?" asked Riku. Looking up at the Maelstrom, he realized that is was a black case with covered the entire blade.

"If I had decided to take this fight seriously, I would've used the full extent of my blade's strength by revealing the sharpened edge of this pike!" Lu Bu swung his blade over his head and then stopped it just behind him. "However, I don't have to take this fight seriously because as far as I'm concerned, you are no threat to me whatsoever!"

"He's right." Riku thought to himself. "What is I can't beat him? What if fighting him one on one was a mistake? If I can't reach his level of strength in the battle, then that means I'm finished here!" But Riku pounded his fist into the ground. "No! I can't die when I still have so far to go! I won't let anyone get in my way! No even this guy!"

Riku drew up his sword and began to charge Lu Bu. Slow at first, but he began to accelerate his speed within seconds and now was charging Lu Bu at full speed.

"You still don't get it do you!" shouted Lu Bu. He raised his pike over his head and swung it down, with incredible speed, onto the ground. The Impact of the pike caused a powerful sonic boom to erupt, blowing Riku away. Riku fell to the ground, but while in mid air, Lu Bu made his attack. Swinging his blade over his head, he simultaneously struck at Riku as he fell to the ground. Then, using his foot to cause as second sonic boom, Lu Bu further blew Riku away. Riku tumbled to the ground and soon lay motionless on the ground. Lu Bu continued to approach him as the young warrior began to stand up.

"Riku!" cried Mickey from a distance.

"We're coming to help you!" added Donald.

"You guys stay away!" cried Riku. "He's too much!"

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy ran to face Lu Bu.

"Come on, Lu Bu!" shouted Mickey. "Face us!"

"You fools!" chuckled Lu Bu. "It isn't going to be that easy to take me down!"

Lu Bu pounded his foot to the ground, causing another sonic boom and the three were easily repelled into the air. They landed fifty yards away from where they were.

"Leave them alone!" Riku demanded. "Your fight is with me!"

"Pitiful!" said Lu Bu, disgusted. "I was expecting a tougher fight than this! But if this is as much strength as you can muster, then you really are in trouble!"

Suddenly, Riku attacked with another powerful swift attack, lunging straight at Lu Bu, but Lu Bu only somersaulted backwards, evading the attack. Once touching down on his feet, he lunged forward, striking at Riku. Riku flew through the air and tumbled to the ground.

"Pathetic!" said Lu Bu. "Can your pitiful alliance do no better than this!"

"Stop!" shouted a voice. Lu Bu looked to see someone running towards him. Sora had finally made it to the battle.

"Sora!" Goofy cheered. "It's Sora!"

"Sora!" added Donald. "You're alright!"

"You're alright!" said Mickey.

Riku looked up to see his friend standing next to him.

"Hey, Sora." he uttered. "You made it."

"Are you alright, Riku?" asked Sora, helping his friend to his feet.

"I've had better days."-

"Well, I'm here now. So we can take him on together."-

"Yes...yes we can."-

"Do you really think that Sora's presence will make a difference in this fight?" said Lu Bu.

"You just watch. With Sora here, we can fight in the style we're familiar with."-

The two warriors drew their swords, ready to enter combat again.

"And we're right there with you!" shouted Mickey, as he, Donald, and Goofy rejoined the fray.

"Your terror ends here!" shouted Sora.

"Is talking all you guys are good for!" said Lu Bu. "If you wish to end this turmoil, then show your might!"

"If that's what you want, Lu Bu! Then that's what you will get!" cried Riku. "Let's get him!"

The group attacked Lu Bu with everything they had, launching attacks from all sides, but Lu Bu managed to hold his own, despite the numbers again him.

"This guy is unbelievable!" said Riku. "How could he be able to fight us all off at the same time?"

"Don't give up!" cried Goofy, using his Tornado Spin to inflict damage on Lu Bu

"Take that!" added Donald, using as many spells as he could. But the elemental spells didn't seem to be having any effect on Lu Bu.

"Try this on!" shouted Riku. He began to power up. "Iceberg Shurikens!"

Launching a volley of ice blocks at Lu Bu, he hoped to freeze the monster into place, but Lu Bu easily detected the attack and deflected it back.

"Nice try!" chuckled Lu Bu. "But the elemental attacks you use will have no effect on me!"

"Then try this one on!" shouted Sora. He too began to power and used the technique he achieved after battling Isis. "Tundra Canister!"

Several blocks bellowed forth, but Lu Bu easily dodged the attack.

"Haven't you learned that these little parlor tricks won't work on me!" chuckled Lu Bu. But suddenly, the blocks exploded into millions of shards and each shard hit Lu Bu. Lu Bu was suddenly encased in a block of ice. "Impossible! I...!"

"Take this!" shouted Sora and Riku as they attacked with all they had. Riku using swift attacks, and Sora with the Ragnarok, they successfully pummeled Lu Bu to the ground. Lu Bu fell to the ground, but jumped to his feet only a few second later.

"I don't think so!" Sora deployed his Tundra Canister again and froze Lu Bu in place again.

"Now to add a little spice!" added Riku. "Let's see how you like Anubis's trick! The Inferno Canister!" Riku suddenly deployed a volley of fire balls that came crashing into Lu Bu. Lu Bu was struck again by each of the balls. The Giant was blown away as each ball made impact.

"Not so confident as you were before are you!" said Sora.

"Let this be a lesson to you!" added Riku. "You can never win against us as you are now! We can predict each of your moves now!"

Lu Bu fell to the ground and lay motionless on the grassy field. Sora and Riku landed on the ground, side by side.

"Come on, you guys!" shouted Goofy. "Go get him!"

"That a boy, you guys!" added Mickey.

"Show him what you guys are made of!" said Donald.

Lu Bu rose to his feet to confront the two boys again.

"Still haven't had enough, eh!" said Sora.

"Now look at who's stressing!" added Riku. "It's not as fun when you're the one getting thrashed about is it!"

"Now you know how we feel!"-

Lu Bu stood up and brushed himself off. Riku and Sora were stunned that the warrior had no scratch on him whatsoever.

"I must admit, that you had me going there, but unfortunately your luck had just run out!" chuckled Lu Bu. "Just because you managed to get a few puck shots at me doesn't mean that you'll be victorious! A few parlor tricks won't determine the outcome of this fight!"

"This guy is unbelievable!" Sora uttered. "Even after all that, he has no scratch on him!"

"Don't be intimidated by his endurance." said Riku. "He has to have a breaking point! We just have to dish out a third serving and give him a good thrashing."

"Come now, boys!" said Lu Bu. "You wish to fight me a second time! Well then be my guest!"

"Then let's do this!"-

Sora and Riku began their third attack. Sora powered up and used the Tundra Canister against Lu Bu, but this time the mighty warrior was ready. Using his infamous sonic boom foot stomp, he caused the shards to rebound away from him and the shards flew back at Sora.

"What in the...!" said Sora. He dodged the attacks, but one shard managed to grab hold of him and Sora's left leg was frozen in place.

"Sora!" cried Riku.

"It's over now!" shouted Lu Bu, suddenly charging full speed. With his pike he blew Sora away, swiping to the right, then to the left, then a blow to the top of the head, before swiping the young key bearer away. Sora flew a hundred yards before tumbling to the ground violently.

"Oh no! Sora!" cried Riku. He sneered at Lu Bu. "How could you!"

"I hoped you enjoyed your little triumph because that was the last one you'll get in this battle!"-

Sora slowly arose from the ground, blades of grass clinging onto his white shirt. Using his sword for support, he stood on his feet. He could only see a blur however as he had just regained consciousness.

"Riku." he uttered.

"Sora!" shouted Riku, running up to his fallen friend. "You OK?"

"He caught on to our attack."-

"I know. We have to some how take him down when he's most vulnerable."-

"I have an idea. We just have to strike him when he deploys a foot stomp. That seems to be the only way he can deflect elemental attacks."-

"Good idea, Sora. Lu Bu has a small interval after the foot stomp where he's completely vulnerable. Once he's in the interval from when he deploys his stomp to when he goes back to a defensive stance, that's when we attack."-

The two began their run again as they began to charge Lu Bu again.

"This is getting a little old don't you think?" said Lu Bu.

"Come on, you guys!" Sora cried. "Let's fight him!"

"Yeah!" shouted Donald, Mickey, and Goofy, who once again joined the fray of the battle. They attacked Lu Bu mercilessly, but the warrior would not go down.

"Wear him down, fellas!" shouted Mickey.

"Use our numbers to our advantage!" added Donald.

The party attacked head on at Lu Bu, from all directions, at the same time. But knowing the situation, Sora and Riku held back in the attack. Sure enough, Lu Bu crouched down and threw his foot upon the ground. The powerful sound wave blew out, repelling the attacking group.

"Not this time!" shouted Sora, jumping into the air. Powering up, he deployed the Tundra Canister. Instantly, Lu Bu was frozen in place. Riku went on the attack an deployed his Inferno Canister. Lu Bu was struck by each attack. Donald retaliated and continuously shot Blizzaga spell at the warrior. Lu Bu was continuously frozen into place, to be prevented from striking back, and the warriors simultaneously attacked him without mercy.

"We got him where we want him!" said Mickey. "We got him! We got him!"

"Let's give it to him, you guys!" added Donald.

"Take that, Lu Bu!" shouted Sora, attacking relentlessly.

However, Lu Bu had grown quite tired of their mockery and was filled with a great and terrible rage. When the last blizzaga spell wore out, Lu Bu had been freed only to be shot at by Donald again.

"Die!" said Lu Bu. He suddenly unleashed a powerful attack which elemental attacks could not break. Sora and the others were suddenly pummeled continuously into the air as Lu Bu made circling movements, striking his pike downward and upward in a 360 degree turn. Then with a final gesture of strength, selecting Sora as his main target, he slammed his pike upon the young key bearer. Sora went flying through the air, but somersaulted back onto his feet. However, as he regained his stance, Lu Bu was suddenly on top of him, slamming his pike into Sora's body ten times. Then with a sudden stomp of his foot, he blew Sora away with another powerful sonic boom. Sora fell to the ground, rolling on the grassy fields once again.

"Why you!" cried Riku, attacking from behind. But Lu Bu suddenly pummeled Riku with the same attack which he used to pummel the entire group at the same time. Riku was struck ten times with that same circular movement and slammed onto the ground with the pikes downward blow. Riku fell upon his back. Blood began to drip from his mouth. "Wha...what was that attack."

"That's the same type of attack Lu Xun used against Leon and I back at Traverse Town!" Mickey explained. "He called it a musou attack!"

"What the heck's a musou attack?" asked Donald.

"So that damn brat, Lu Xun has told you about that attack, eh?" Lu Bu suddenly uttered. "Figures. Well, since we're on the subject, I might as well tell you what the musou attack is. It is an upsurge of energy that accumulates from the body's chi. However, this attack can only be used when the chi has reached its maximum level. After that, the musou attack can be deployed at any time when the chi reaches its full capacity. The energy accumulated from the attack is so powerful, nothing can break its destructive power except for another powerful musou attack."

"That means that not even the elemental attacks will work on him if he deploys his musou."-

Meanwhile, Jim, Delbert, and Silver watched the fight from afar. They could not believe what they were witnessing. A battle of mammoth proportions.

"Can you believe this?" asked Jim. "Can you believe what we're seeing?"

"I see it, but I don't believe it." added Delbert. "All this trouble just for the sake of treasure."

"You forget, Doc," said Silver, "This isn't just an ordinary treasure we're talking about. This is the loot of a thousand worlds."

"I didn't think that people were capable of this kind of destructive power. And they aren't even depending on the aid of some sort of weapon."-

"To think that I tried to take that guy on me own."-

"And now! To finish this little scuffle!" said Lu Bu. He suddenly took of the case from the pike's blade, revealing the sharpened, glittering steel. "Now which one should I take out first!" Lu Bu looked around, first glaring at Mickey, Donald, and Goofy who stood in a terrified manner. He then gazed at Riku who sneered at him. But then, Lu Bu turned his attentions towards Sora, who still remained motionless on the ground. "Yes! He will be the first to go!"

"No!" shouted Riku. "Leave Sora alone! He isn't even conscious anymore!"

"I know that! That's why I chose him! So he won't feel any pain when I deliver the final blow!" But Lu Bu realized that Sora was slowly standing up. "Well, well, well! It looks like he's awake again! So much for a painless death!"

"Sora! Look out!"-

Sora looked back, seeing Lu Bu approaching him. He tried to stand, but could only manage to turn on his back. There he lay helpless as Lu Bu came closer. Lu Bu stood over Sora and placed his foot on Sora's throat. Sore began to choke as Lu Bu added pressure to his neck.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Mickey.

"And what do you worthless maggots intend to do about it!" roared Lu Bu. Mickey and the others stood down, knowing that they were no match for him. "That's what I thought." Lu Bu stared down at Sora and raised his pike over his head. "I'll make sure that you die swiftly, Sora! I hate to kill such a talented young whelp! But you're just a thorn in the side! And I intend to extract you!" Lu Bu held the pike ever higher. Sora's eyes could only look on in fear as the coming doom was about to land itself upon him. "Die well, Sora!"

Suddenly, a powerful force struck Lu Bu, knocking the giant off his feet. Lu Bu tumbled on the ground, skidding through the grass. Mickey and the others could only look on in wonder at what had happened. Sora looked up to see a familiar figure standing over him.

"St...Standing Eagle?" he uttered. Osiris had arrived on the battlefield to aid in the fight. This time, in Sora's favor.

"Is that who I think it is?" asked Goofy.

"It's Osiris!" said Mickey.

"But what's he doing?" asked Donald.

"It looks like he's standing between Lu Bu and Sora. I think he came to help us."-

"Him help us?"-

Riku gazed up to see Osiris standing between Sora and Lu Bu.

"Osiris?" he uttered. "What's he doing here?" He realized that he was standing in Sora's defense. "Was it Sora who turned you around? Did he show you your true path as well?"

Lu Bu slowly rose up to see his former comrade standing in defense of Sora.

"Osiris? What are you doing!" said Lu Bu.

"No more." Osiris uttered. "This suffering has gone on for far too long!"

"Why do you stand against me now!"-

"I've been fighting for the Empire for twelve years now! And it was only until a short time ago when I finally realized the truth! I thought I was fighting for a cause that would end the pain and the suffering! But instead, I realized that by trying to gain peace through submission, I am no different from those who killed my family! No different from those who wanted to extinguish our way of life! My father would no longer consider me his son if he were to see what I've done!"-

"Idiot! Don't you realize that you're fighting on the wrong side! Why change your opinions now of all times!"-

"Because I had been following a false path! A path that counters the way of the Lakota Sioux, the way that my father taught me!"-

"Well, if that's the position you take, then you are no longer my ally! From now on, if you stand against me, you are my enemy!"-

"If you treat me as an enemy, then I will do the same thing!"-

Osiris deployed a powerful twister against Lu Bu, but Lu Bu deployed a powerful foot stomp, that extinguished the twister within seconds. Lu Bu suddenly lunged forth with incredible speed and slugged Osiris in the gut with the butt of his pike. Osiris fell to the ground in pain.

"Standing Eagle!" cried Sora, as he stood up. Rushing to Standing Eagle's side, he propped the young warrior up. Osiris hunched over, comforting his gut of the pain. "Why? Why did you come here? Did you come to help us?"

"Yes." uttered Osiris. "You helped me open my eyes, Sora. You helped me rediscover my humanity."

"It's OK, my friend." Sora sneered at Lu Bu. "How could you do that to him! To your own comrade!"

"Those who stand against me will pay dearly!" said Lu Bu. "Osiris is of no exception either! If he wishes to stand against the mightiest man alive, then he will suffer just like you!"

"Tell me, Lu Bu." Osiris uttered. "What is it that you're fighting for? Do you fight for the sake of the Empire?"

"I fight for myself and only for myself! I could care less about the fate of the Empire! Power and justice can only be obtained through victory in battle! The only goal I'm interested in obtaining is being the best! To be the greatest warrior of all time! When I first encountered the Empire, the power they displayed was impeccable! Something which I could never hope to obtain in my lifetime! So, I took the liberty of joining the Empire so that I may obtain the secret behind their power. The ability to fly, the foot stomp, and incredible speed are just a few of the techniques I learned. And by learning how to control my chi, I was also able increase the power of my musou attack. At the same time, I learned the weaknesses of each member of the Empire. I took those weaknesses into account so that I may be able to use it against them when I attempted to take over!"

"You mean you joined the Empire only so you could exploit their weaknesses and later use that knowledge against them when you declare a coup!" asked Sora. "I guess what Lu Xun told us was true! And your personal files were true as well! You have a rebellious and belligerent nature, fighting only for your own personal gain! As a result, you have a tendency to betray even your closest allies!" Sora stood up to face Lu Bu. "Don't you realize that by continuously turning on your allies, you'll be betrayed yourself one day! And when you need help the most, there will be no one to help you, or even wish to help you!"

"That's why I intend to make myself sufficient in strength so that I don't have to worry about requesting aid!"-

"So that's what you fight for?" asked Osiris. "Fight for your own strength alone! That's a weak motive!"

"When I discard concern for allies and others, then I won't have anything to hold me back! Trying to protect someone is a weakness! Nothing more than that!"-

"That's not true!" Sora protested. "Protecting someone is the greatest motivation to fight! When you fight to protect, you gain a strong sense of duty that you must fight at all cost to save that person! That's what motivates me to fight and that's why I fight you now!"

"But it takes more than motivation to win a battle!" Lu Bu suddenly pounded his foot to the ground and a powerful sonic boom bellowed, blowing Sora away. Sora once again tumbled to the ground, skidding along the grass. There, he lay motionless as Lu Bu continued to approach him.

"Sora!" cried Osiris, but fell to the ground, still trying to recover from the blow. Lu Bu stood over Sora. With half open eyes, Sora could see the giant glaring down at him.

"Well, where's this motivation you were talking about?" said Lu Bu. "I guess it was all talk and no action! Pitiful!" He once again raised his pike over his head, ready to deliver the final blow. "So much for your cause to protect!" He swung the pike at Sora.

Suddenly, there was a loud clang and Lu Bu suddenly feel the pike strike something hard. He looked down to see Riku standing before Sora, using his blade to impede the pike's path.

"I won't let you harm Sora anymore." Riku uttered, pushing the pike away. "You've gone too far, Lu Bu. You've caused enough pain."

"And what do you plan to do about it, Riku?" chuckled Lu Bu. "Your friend Sora didn't stand a chance against me. What makes you think that you'll do any better than he?"

"You say that the motivation to protect is weak. I beg to differ."-

Riku suddenly lunged forward and using the sheath of his sword, struck Lu Bu in the gut. Lu Bu fell to his knees, grasping at his gut.

"What!" he thought. "How can this be! He forced me to my knees with one hit! But how did he achieve so much power so unexpectedly!"

Riku glared at Lu Bu, who now sneered at him.

"I used to be like you one." he explained. "I was always out to improve my own strength and gain more power. As a result, I became the most powerful fighter on Destiny Island. I remember how I was able to take out four of my friends at the same time in a brawl. Every time we sparred four on one, I always won. Thus, I became so confident in my own strength that I thought there was nothing I couldn't beat. I developed a sense of how not to fear anything."

"Dare to lecture me!" shouted Lu Bu. Swinging his pike around, attempting to hit Riku, but the young key bearer saw the attack and easily evaded it. He swung around and kicked Lu Bu in the face, forcing the giant to land on his back.

"I thought that there was no one I couldn't beat." Riku continued. "I thought that my friends would depend on me always. Especially Sora who was considered the runt of the litter. Unlike the others, he was the weakest back then. But when the Heartless came, everything changed. I thought that I was being strong, accepting the darkness. For a time, I believed Sora had turned against me when he went off on adventures without me. I thought that I was on my own. And I hated him for it."

Lu Bu attempted another attack, but Riku easily evaded and retaliated. Lu Bu once again found himself on the ground. This time blood ran from his mouth. He wiped the blood with his thumb and stirred it about with his index finger.

"I bleed?" Lu Bu thought. "But how? How could I shed blood before this runt? But then again, where did he accumulate all this strength suddenly! All of as sudden, I can't even strike him!" Riku carried on with his lecture.

"When confronting Sora, I thought that he was still that naive, weak little fighter I knew him for, back on Destiny Island. But even though I had gained so much strength, he had managed to beat me. In the end, I realized that it was I who was weak. Sora, whom I thought could never surpass me in strength, had gained power that I never thought was deemed possible. What Sora lacked in strength, he made up for in stamina and endurance. No matter how big the challenge, he took it head on without flinching. All that time, when I searched for Kairi, I never realized that her heart had been with Sora the whole time. But by the time I realized that, it was too late and I was consumed by the darkness. However, even though we were enemies, Sora kept our friendship first and his loyalty to me and Kairi was unhindered. I can never fully repay Sora for the loyalty he showed me. So it was Sora's notion to protect others that made him strong and what made him continue on. I, on the other hand, only cared about my own strength. And for that, I betrayed even my life long friend for the sake that he would still depend on me. But now, I realize that it wasn't dependency, but loyalty."-

"Don't you think you talk too much, Riku?" said Lu Bu. "The reason why you failed was because you didn't put enough faith in your own strength. Had you been more trusting to your strength, you could have emerged as the best. But that's what makes you weak. You weren't able to kill your friend because you knew that you couldn't live with yourself if you did."

"Believe that you want to believe, Lu Bu. But you only make hypotheses. And that doesn't lead to truth."-

"Well see about that!" Lu Bu lunged at Riku. Riku dodged again and struck from behind, but Lu Bu suddenly deployed his musou attack, his true musou attack. "Worthless scum!" Riku was struck by the attack, being slammed around by the pick. Lu Bu threw his pike upon the ground, causing a powerful sonic boom to blast out. Riku was blown away. Landing to the ground a hundred yards away. But Lu Bu was relentless and attacked again. Riku saw the attack and quickly retaliated. The two collided and stopped just opposite each other in a sudden death match. Riku suddenly fell to one knee. He felt a sharp pain on his left shoulder. Looking down, he saw that his arm had received a deep cut and was bleeding ferociously.

"Not bad!" chuckled Lu Bu. But he too felt a pain in his left shoulder. Looking down, he realized that Riku had slashed straight through the armor, cutting his flesh. To make things worse, the staff of his pike was cut in half and the heavy blade fell to the ground. "It can't be."

"It is over." Riku uttered.

"This isn't over yet, you fool!" shouted Lu Bu. But he fell to the ground again. He realized that his right leg had been cut as well. "But how...!"

Riku walked up to Lu Bu who know sat on his knees hunched over, grabbing his wounded shoulder.

"It was my notion to protect that made me succeed because I knew that I couldn't let that person down."-

"But who could've influenced you that much to keep you ironclad even again me?" asked Lu Bu.

"Him." Riku pointed at Sora, who was slowly arising to his feet.

"Sora? He was what motivated you?"-

"When you have someone, you want to protect, in your presence, you do all you can to make sure that person doesn't receive further pain." Riku gazed down at Lu Bu. Then with his one good arm, he raised his sword over his head. Lu Bu could only look down. Sweat dripped down his face and he began to shake.

"Just get it over with then." said Lu Bu. "Let it end here and now with a worthy opponent." But Riku hesitated.

"Tell me, Lu Bu." said Riku. "Do you fear death?" Lu Bu suddenly gazed up at him. "Just as I thought. You are afraid of death. If not, death is the only thing you fear. I can see it in your eyes." Lu Bu looked at the ground again.

"I do fear death. I fear it more than anything else. For me, death is eternity. I would ask and beg you to spare my life, but the evidence is too heavily built against me. The ruthlessness and cruelty of my actions in this fight cannot be overlooked and I am not worthy to receive pity. Just kill me and be done with it."-

"That's why you wished to be stronger. Because you fear death, or more likely you fear being killed by someone stronger than you. Or by anyone for that matter."-

"Enough talk and deliver the final blow!"

"Because of what you have done, you will die today! I will show you no pity! Lord Lu Bu! I sentence you to death!"-

"Riku..." Sora uttered. But before he could utter anymore words, Riku's sword rushed down with its sharpened steel aimed at its target. There was sudden silence when the blow was given. The others could only watch, shocked at what they saw.

Lu Bu opened his eyes and realized that Riku had harmlessly struck the ground instead.

"Lu Bu is dead." said Riku. He sheathed his sword.

"But why?" said Lu Bu. "Why didn't you finish me!"

"Because death would have been too easy a way out. Certainly, you would have had eternity, but to face moments in life is greater than anything you can encounter in the afterlife. I think the one thing that you fear more than death is losing your pride as a warrior. Well, today I've at least deprived you of that fear."-

"Do you think it wise to spare me, boy!"-

"I know you won't try anything. It doesn't seem like your style to stab someone in the back when you know you're no match for them."-

"You just got lucky that's all!"-

"Maybe it was luck. Either way, that was probably as close as you would ever come to death. And now that you encountered it, you are feeling helpless and afraid." Riku turned towards his friends. "OK, you guys! Don't stand around! We have a treasure to find!"

"Riku!" asked Sora. "You OK?"

"I'll be fine. And you?"-

"I've had better days."-

"Hey!" shouted Mickey, as he, Donald, and Goofy ran towards the weary warriors.

"I've never seen such a fight." said Goofy.

"Right on!" added Donald.

"I must admit I was scared when I fought Lu Bu." said Riku.

"But how did you suddenly gain so much strength to take him down?" asked Mickey.

"I didn't use accelerated strength. Lu Bu lost all on his own."-

"What do you mean?"-

"He allowed his rage to get the best of him and he wasn't able to coordinate himself properly. Lu Bu is not the type to do well when blinded by rage."-

"But what made him so mad?" asked Donald.

"When he fought me, he fought himself. We had something in common, praising our own strength. But perhaps Lu Bu will realize now that strength doesn't always come from techniques and physical and mental stamina, but you need the right motivation. He was fighting for his own gain. When he began to question his strength and lose confidence in himself, he started to become unstable and less effort was made to continue. In the end, he wanted it all to end quickly. Whereas for me, I had a firm cause of protecting my friends. And that was something that one could never give up so easily."-

"So Lu Bu just didn't have it in him to keep on fighting in the end."-

"That's right."-

"Well, now that that's settled, can we get going now?" said Donald.

"That's right." said Sora. He took out his senzu bean and broke it in half. He ate it and regained his strength. He then walked over to Osiris and handed him the other half. "Here you go Standing Eagle."

"Sora! What are you doing!" said Mickey.

"Don't worry, guys. He's one of us now."-

"After what I've done, I don't deserve any mercy."-

"Hey, you came to help us. And that's good enough for me."-

"Alright then." Osiris took the senzu half and ate it. Once digested, Osiris stood on his feet and wiped himself off. "Amazing. I feel great."

"Boy, fellers!" Goofy chuckled. "I never would have thought Goten's senzu beans would have come in so handy."

"How many of those things do we have left?" asked Donald. Goofy opened the bag, but to his surprise, he found only one left.

"Oh dear. We only have on left."-

"Maybe we should save it."-

"But what about Riku?" asked Sora.

"I'll be alright." said Riku.

"That won't be an option though." said Mickey. "That wound is bleeding severely. Give him the senzu bean, Goofy. We can always go back to Traverse Town and request for more."

"OK then." said Goofy. He handed the senzu bean to Riku.

"Thank you." replied Riku. He snapped the bean in half and ate one of the two. Regaining his strength, he flexed his muscles. "That hit the spot."

"What are you gonna do with the other half?"-

Riku gazed at the bean in his hand. He then turned to where Lu Bu knelt in pain.

"Hey, Lu Bu!" he shouted. Lu Bu looked up as Riku threw the bean at him. Lu Bu caught the bean with his good arm.

"Riku! Have you lost your mind!" said Sora. "Why are you giving the senzu to Lu Bu!"

"Yeah! Do you want him to come after us again!" added Mickey.

"You should listen to your friends, Riku." Lu Bu uttered. "By giving me the other half of the senzu, you might have dug your own grave already. How can you be so sure that I won't come after you when you least expect it?"-

"I'm willing to take that chance." Riku replied. "Besides, you and I have a rematch right!"

"You can't do this to me!" said Lu Bu. "Despite all I've done, you insist on letting me live!"

"I want you to live so that you would know that you were never a match for me. You can never defeat me as you are now." Riku turned his back on Lu Bu. "If your pride means so much more to you, then consider me your pride."

"What!"-

"That's right. I hold your pride until our rematch. And when we rematch, it will be on my terms. I will suggest when to fight and where."-

"What if I refuse to agree with your plans and decide to kill you before that!"-

"Because you were not the type to experience defeat until now. As a result you want to redeem your pride as a warrior. But in order to do that, you have to fight and defeat your opponent at full strength. If you decide to fight and kill me without my consent, then I won't use my full strength to fight you. And I know how you hate to have your opponent hold back. If you kill me without me using my full strength, then my death will wear on your mind, knowing that you never had a proper rematch." Lu Bu remained silent after that. Riku turned to Sora and the others. "Let's get going, you guys. We still have to find Flint's Trove."

"What about..."-

"Don't worry about Lu Bu. He still has a lot to think about."-

"I hope you're right." said Sora. He looked to where Jim and the others were hiding. "OK you guys! You can come out now! The battle's over!"

Jim, Silver, Delbert, and B.E.N. popped their heads out of the brush, jumped out and rejoined the KH team.

"That was so cool!" said Jim. "I never saw anything like that before!"

"I'm proud of you, gents!" added Delbert. "Never in my life had I witnessed such a confrontation!"

"That was booming!" chuckled B.E.N. "We won! We won! We won!"

"We get the picture!"-

"If I ever had such talent, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by!" Silver laughed. "Well, now that we have all that settled, how about we look for that treasure."

"That's what we're here for." said Jim.

"Then let's get going!" said Delbert. "OK Jim, open up that map!" Jim obliged and opened the map. Suddenly, the holographic map appeared and suddenly transformed into a green laser pathway. "I guess all we have to do is follow that beam!"

"Well, what are we standing around here for?" asked Sora. "Let's get going!"

"Everyone on board the gummi ship!" said Mickey. But as they troop left, Sora looked back to see Standing Eagle standing idle.

"You coming with us?"-

"I wouldn't feel comfortable." uttered Standing Eagle. "I fought you and attempted to kill you and your friends. And yet now you want me to accompany you as if nothing ever happened?"

He lowered his eyes to the ground. But as he gaze up again, he saw Sora looking at him with such innocent eyes. Placing he hand on the shinobi's shoulder, he only smiled.

"You're among friends." said Sora.

"But I..."-

"Let's just get one thing straight!" said Riku, as he walked up to the two. "If Sora trusts you, then that's good enough for me!" Placing his hand of Standing Eagle's other shoulder. "If you truly are sorry for what you've done, then we will gladly take you in as our comrade."

Standing Eagle's eyes were filled with tears of joy. He smiled and with a pat on the back from Riku, the three rejoined the others and entered the gummi ship. The ship took off and began to follow the laser path set out by Jim's map.

All was quiet on the fields once again. Lu Bu however was not pleased with the outcome as he still knelt on his knees. Gazing at the senzu bean he questioned his motives.

"That brat!" said Lu Bu. "He thinks he can manipulate my pride like that!" he clutched the bean in his fist. "I'll show you, Riku! You are my new target! And from now on, I will not be satisfied until I defeat you and regain the honor you took from me! You are my only target now! And I will prove to you that my strength can never be overcome!"

With that, Lu Bu ate the senzu bean silently.


	19. The Treasure at Last

The Treasure at Last

Eventually, the gummi ship made it to the end of the path. The beam ended before a deep canyon, stopping just off the side of the cliff. The KH team and their allies exited the gummi ship and looked about.

"Where is it?" asked Delbert.

"I…I don't know." Jim uttered. As they neared the point where the path ended, the laser path itself retracted into its metal sphere. Jim tried to open the map again, but this time it remained closed.

"Well, that's not a good sign." said Sora. "If Jim can't open the map anymore…."

"I wouldn't think of it as a bad sign." added Riku. "There must be something here that's letting the map act this way."

"Well, this be a fine kettle of fish." uttered Silver. "Where the blazes could the treasure be."

"Perhaps we have to activate the map in a different way." said Jim. He looked down to the ground and by chance saw a bizarre imprint of the ground. He pondered at what it was for a while.

"What did you find?" asked Sora.

"I don't know, but it looks like the inscriptions are identical to the surface of this map. Perhaps if I…" Jim placed the map into the imprint. Suddenly, when the map made contact with the imprint, a green light bellowed forth and glimmered in a miniature sphere of the galaxy. In addition, a triangular object appeared just behind the sphere, sitting on the edge of the cliff.

"What in the world…?" said Delbert. "How fascinating."

"But what is it?" added Silver.

"A big door opening and closing." Jim uttered. He reached over to the sphere and touched one of the planet icons in the holographic map. As soon as he touched an icon, the triangular object revealed that same destination. "So that's how Flint did it. He used the map as a big door to move from one end of the galaxy to the other in very little time. That's how he vanished without a trace after every attack he made. He would immediately return to this planet."

"But where did he stash it all, Jimbo!" said Silver, angrily. "He never gave precise directions on where the treasure is!"

"Think about it, Silver. If you had the loot of a thousand worlds, you would need to find a big place to stash it all. I think the treasure isn't buried anywhere on this planet, I think it's buried in the planet."

"And how are we supposed to get there!"-

"Just by opening the right door." Jim pressed the icon of Treasure Planet and immediately, the door opened to the center of the great sphere.

Before the group, appeared the grandest sight they ever laid their eyes on. Gold and jewels were piled like mountains upon each other. The group slowly entered the vicinity of riches.

"This is it." uttered Delbert. "This is Flint's legendary trove."

"It's even better than I imagined it would be." added Riku.

"Look at all that gold." said Donald.

"There's so much of It." added Mickey. "This is, without a doubt, the loot of a thousand worlds."

"Now I can see why the Empire wanted me to find this." Osiris uttered. "There's enough treasure to increase their income a thousand fold."

"That's why we can't have the Empire getting their hands on this." said Riku. "This gold would have given the Empire and endless revenue. They would have no financial problems for a thousand years, or more."

"After a lifetime of searching," uttered Silver, falling to his knees and grabbing a handful of gold and jewels, "now at last I can touch it!"

"I guess wishes do come true." chuckled Goofy.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't intend to go empty handed!" Silver reached down and picked up jewels and coins from here and there, stuffing his pockets full.

"We'll be rich." Donald said. He scooped up a handful of riches and placed it into his hat.

"I haven't seen this much gold since the Cave of Wonders back at Agraba." added Sora.

"There's something wrong here." Riku uttered.

"What do you mean?"-

"You think that having this much wealth stowed away in one place, there'd be better security to keep robbers from taking it."-

"You think this place is booby trapped, Riku?"-

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was and we didn't know it."-

The party made their way to an old ship that was half buried in gold and silver. Jim and B.E.N. were the first to reach the old hull.

"You know," uttered B.E.N, "this all seems so familiar. I have a feeling of some impeding danger beating around the bush."

"Captain Flint!" Jim suddenly said. B.E.N. looked to see what Jim had discovered.

"Captain Flint! In the flesh!" Before them, upon a grand throne, the remains of Captain Nathaniel Flint sat vigilantly watching over his treasure. "Well not really. I mean if you count out organs and living tissue, or anything that resembles flesh." Jim observed the skeletal remains of Flint closely as B.E.N. continued his commentary. "You know it's a funny thing, but Flint wanted me to remember something really important. If I only remembered what it was."

It was at that moment that Jim noticed a contraption of wires and circuits clutched in Flint's hand. Jim took the contraption and examined it.

"What is this?" he uttered. He then realized what it was. "B.E.N! I think I just found your mind!" Grabbing B.E.N, he placed the piece into the empty socket at the back of his head.

"Hey! Hey!" said B.E.N, suddenly filled with a new energy. "You know Jim, I was thinking that maybe…. Hey! I'm thinking! Now I remember why Flint extracted the memory from my circuits! That way I wouldn't warn anyone about his big booby trap!"

"Booby trap!" said Riku, who just climbed aboard. "Did you say booby trap!"

"What booby trap!" added Sora.

Suddenly, there was a powerful rumble from beneath their feet.

"Speaking of which…" uttered B.E.N. The entire trove began to collapse around them. "Flint told me that if anyone were to stumble upon his treasure, then this entire trove was to blow sky high!"

"How sky high!"-

"The entire planet will be destroyed!"-

"Then, we better get out of here!" shouted Jim. "Everyone! Get out of here now!"

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Delbert replied.

"Come on, fellas!" cried Mickey. "Let's get back to the gummi ship!"

The party quickly exited the vicinity, going through the door and reaching the gummi ship. At the same time, the ground gave way beneath their feet and millions of tons of gold and silver fell into the blazing inferno within the center of the core.

"Hurry up, Jimbo!" shouted Silver. "We haven't a lot off time!"

"But all this gold!" said Jim.

"I know! I know! But what's the point of it if you lose your life!"-

"Good point!"-

Jim and Silver ran towards the exit, but the ground suddenly cracked beneath him. Jim suddenly fell into the core, but managed to cling onto the side of the crack's walls.

"Jimbo! Grab me hand, boy!" Silver ordered.

"I can't reach!" cried Jim.

"Come on, by thunder! I know you can do it! Do you really intend to die here!"-

"No! No! I don't wand to die here!" Jim swung as best he could and reached for Silver's metal hand. With a good shove, he leaped up and grabbed hold. Silver pulled him up.

"Silver! You…"-

"Just lost a lifelong obsession? I'll get over it!" The two jumped over each crack and made their way to the exit.

Meanwhile, Sora looked around to see if anyone was left behind. It was then that he saw Osiris running towards the exit.

"Hurry, Standing Eagle!" cried Sora. "Hurry!"

"I know!" Osiris replied. Using his energy, he accumulated a great amount of wind and blew away most of the falling debris.

"The entire trove is caving in!"-

Osiris took to the air, flying about and dodging the falling slabs of metal. Using the wind element, he used all in his power to maintain a protective perimeter around him. Suddenly, an explosion erupted in front of him and a shard of metal slashed into his side. The young shinobi fell into one of the cracks.

"Standing Eagle!" cried Sora.

But at that moment, Riku suddenly appeared and managed to grab hold of the falling young man by the arm.

"No one is dying here!" he said. "Not even you!"

"R…Riku." Osiris uttered. Riku pulled him up.

"Riku!" cried Sora, running to assist. They pulled the maimed warrior from the ever widening gap.

"Come on, Sora! Get him out of here!" Riku said, slinging Osiris's arm over Sora's neck. "Let's get going!"

"Right!"-

The three continued on their way. But again another explosion caused immense rumbling beneath their feet. Riku lost his balance and fell into the boiling core.

"Riku!" cried Sora, as he could only helplessly watch his lifelong friend fall to his doom. Riku fell nearer into the core and the molten lava below. But from out of nowhere, a figure appeared and grabbed hold of him. Sora couldn't bare to see his friend die, but hope presented itself before him. Sora looked up in shock, not believing who it was that helped Riku from certain death. "It…it's…. Lu Bu!"

"You can kill yourself, but not while I'm around!" said Lu Bu, dropping Riku on the ground. Riku slowly rose to his feet and saw who it was that saved him.

"Lu Bu." uttered Riku. He smiled. "I guess you don't want me to die after all!"

"Only until we face each other again! But right now, let's stop stalling and get out of here now!"-

"I hate to admit it," said Sora, "but I'd have to agree with Lu Bu on this one!"

The four ran out of the cavern and back to the gummi ship.

On reaching the gummi ship, Mickey and the others were waiting for them.

"Hurry up you guys!" shouted Donald

"We have to go!" added B.E.N. "We have fifteen seconds before the planet's instability causes it to explode!"

"Hurry up!" It was then, as the four boarded that they laid eyes on Lu Bu. "Oh God! It's…!"

"Not right now!" shouted Lu Bu. "You can be shocked later! Let's get out of here for the time being!"

"Alright! Alright!"-

Donald shut the doors and the gummi ship blasted off into the distance. The planet, reaching melt down, exploded into millions of tons of debris.

Upon reaching the planet Montressor, the party returned to the estate of Dr. Doppler. There, they presented the treasure than they managed to save. Though the amount seemed like very little, the price they would be paid for was a great deal. Sora peered down upon the mound of gold and jewels as they gleamed in the morning sun.

"Well, I know it's not as much as I promised, Mom." uttered Jim. "But it's still enough."

"Enough?" said Delbert Doppler, examining one of the jewels. "That's more than enough. Do you realize how rare some of these crystals are? This shard alone is worth a great deal."

"Then, I guess it was worth it."-

Mrs. Hawkins however, could only wrap her hands around her son tightly. Jim hugged her tightly.

"The best thing I ever had in my life was having you as a son." uttered Mrs. Hawkins. "I'm so glad that you're home."

"I sure like happy endings." Goofy sobbed. "It brings tears to my eyes."

"I don't know whose worse," uttered Donald, "you or him."

"Donald. Shush!" said Mickey.

"Well, that's done with." said Riku. He then gazed about at the faces of the company, but realized that two of them were missing. "Hey! Where are Osiris and Lu Bu?"

"They're gone." Sora replied.

"What do you mean they're gone?"-

"They left when we landed." Sora held out his hand. "Standing Eagle gave me this as payment for our troubles." Sora presented before Riku with the information disk.

"I guess it was a parting gift, telling us that he was sorry. He was an OK guy after all."-

"He also gave this to me as a token of his appreciation for battling against him." Sora opened his hand accumulated a small whirlwind in the palm of his hand. "I now have the ability to deploy tornados. This was Standing Eagles Twister Strike." He then put out his other hand. "He also left this for you." He handed Riku an energy icon. Riku was suddenly filled with a great energy. He had learned the Hurricane Slash. "He said if he ever wanted to give his best attacks, he would give it to those who were willing to befriend him."

"Standing Eagle."-

The KH group reassembled and faced Jim and the others.

"Well, it's time we get on out way." said Mickey.

"But must you go now?" asked Mrs. Hawkins. "I was thinking about having a celebration honoring your return."

"That's sound like fun!" Sliver chuckled. "Drinks all around!"

"That sounds tempting," said Riku, "but our job here is done. We must continue on our way to stop the Dark Empire from further expanding."

"I see." said Delbert. "Well, if you must do what you must do, then we will not delay you any further. But feel free to visit us anytime. We would look forward to your company."

"We appreciate that."-

"Thanks, you guys." said Jim. He then stood before Sora and extended his hand. "I must thank you personally, Sora. You've done so much for me." Sora and Jim shook hands.

"I have no regrets in my actions." With one last glance, the KH team departed the estate and headed back to their gummi ship.

When reaching their ship, Donald placed the information disk into the decoding machine. When completed, the message read.

_Madam Caesar will be awaiting your success and hopes that you will join her in the "Ico Realm." Her task is to retrieve the mystic blade so that we may analyze the energy resonating from it and attempt to upgrade the blades of our mobile droids._

"I take it that the 'Ico Realm' is our next destination?" asked Sora.

"Seems that way." Riku replied.

"But first things first." said Mickey. "We must first return to Traverse Town to restock on Senzu beans. Also, we need maintenance on the gummi ship and we need to refuel."

"We also need to write out a progress report to Sneer." Donald added. "It's what he requested."

"Then, let's get back to Traverse Town." said Riku.

"Hey!" Goofy stated. "We have an incoming transmission!" A message had made its way through to the gummi ship. Donald activated the transmission screen.

"It's Lu Xun." Sora uttered. "I wonder what he wants."

_"This is a declaration from Sneer."_ Lu Xun began. _"There is some Imperial activity taking place in __Halloween__Town__. We believe that they are constructing a powerful weapon called the Apocalypse Cannon, which is capable of wiping out a galaxy. You must destroy the cannon before it reaches completion. General Durovano and the other Gatler Generals are their overlooking the project. Defeat them and destroy the cannon."_ With that, the transmission ended.

"That's serious!" said Sora. "We better take care of that right now!"

"But we still need to restock on supplies!" said Donald.

"Taking out that cannon is the most important thing right now!" Riku replied. "I don't think we should delay!"

"He's right!" said Mickey. "If we resupply, that cannon might already be completed by the time we depart to destroy it!"

"By the map, Halloween town is directly between us and Traverse Town." said Goofy.

"Then, we'll take care of that situation on the way to Traverse Town."-

"But this time, we'll have to be careful." Donald explained. "We have no more Senzu beans to heal us."

"He's right." Sora uttered. "So we'll have to be extra careful."

The gummi ship's engines began to spark and roar. The gummi ship coordinated itself towards space and took off in a flash, vanishing without a sight.

At the same time, two solitary individuals watched as the KH team departed from the "Treasure Realm." Lu Bu and Osiris watched as the gummi ship disappeared from sight.

"So, it's over." Lu Bu uttered. Osiris sat up; his wound had been bandaged up. "How's your wound."

"I'll live." Osiris replied.

"So now what?"-

There was a dead silence between the two for a few minutes before Osiris spoke again.

"I'm going to turn myself in to the alliance authorities." He uttered.

"Why?" asked Lu Bu.

"I'm tired of fighting. That's all I've been doing for the past ten years of my life. I've been fighting, killing, and being sent to the front lines constantly. General Kai said that we could end this war against the alliance within a month. But it's been ten years now and I still see no sign of peace. I'm tired of it. So that's why I'm going to turn myself in."-

"That will not bode well with the Empire."-

"That's alright Lu Bu. As far as they know, I'm dead." He looked at the giant warrior. "What will you do?"

"I don't intend to give up that easily! Not until I settle the score with Riku! He will pay for my last defeat! And I will see to it that he pays in his own blood! Only then, will I return to the ranks of the Empire and claim title as the mightiest man alive. Until then, I'm KIA!" Lu Bu began to walk away. "This is far from over, Riku! I swear to it!"

"The Empire is doomed to fail." Osiris said to himself. "They intend to expand beyond their reach and there are only so many resources to keep them stocked. Sooner, or later they will crumble! Most definitely from within! Knowing the conflict between Arakis and Ameba, it is definite that even if they do achieve total unification, the chaos won't end amongst them and war will again erupt. That means their present sacrifices would all be in vain."

With a final sigh, Osiris picked up his cloak and jumped to his feet. He headed northward as Lu Bu headed south. The two went their separate ways, but neither was to join the ranks of the Empire ever again.

Meanwhile, in the city of Vandor, the capital city of the Empire, plans were being set for the completion of the new Apocalypse Cannon. Lord Arakis oversaw the transportation the necessary materials needed to finish their devilish weapon.

"With the Apocalypse Cannon completed, we'll be able to defeat our enemies from a great distance away." he thought to himself. "But what would the point be for us to maintain our abilities to fight if we can no longer touch the enemy."

General Kai entered the facility. Spying Lord Arakis, he approached him. He bowed respectfully to him.

"Preparations for the Apocalypse Cannon's completion no doubt." said Kai. "What would the point be of it though, to destroy our enemies from a great distance away and not be able to have a crack at fighting them?"

"I understand your concern, General Kai. By eliminating the use of soldiers, not only do you lose the romance and excitement of battle, but also the sorrow and pain of battle. When you are able to destroy your enemy without having to see them up close, then that is the most cowardly of acts. We depend too much on the use of machines and technology nowadays. Because of that, no one knows what it feels like to really enjoy the ability to test one's true strength."-

"But I'm sure that the venerable General Ameba is tickled pink at the idea of wiping out an enemy. Not just an enemy, but an entire civilization."-

"We must face the facts General Kai. We abide by philosophies that are outdated. But despite that, these so-called outdated ideals are a necessity for us. Without honor and pride, we could care less about what happens and who gets hurt. We would wage war amongst each other like mindless fools who don't know the concept of cause and sorrow. For those who believe war has no limit to how much destruction they can wreak upon people, they have no concept of life's value."-

"But we do the same thing though, my lord. Despite our philosophies, we at times had to carry out with such acts."-

"There are times when we cannot stop intervention of non-combatants. As a result, those non-combatants who become victims of circumstance become casualties of the conflict."-

It was then that General Ameba approached the two.

"Well, well, well." said Ameba. "I didn't expect you to be here, Your Excellency." He overviewed the supplies being placed into the carriers. "I take it that the supplies being stocked are resources to help with the completion of the Apocalypse Cannon? With that weapon in our hands, we'll be able to force our opponents to submit without having to lose any resources of our own and suffering any casualties on either side. Is that not what you want, my lord, being able to win a victory without taking the lives of others?"

"You misinterpret my philosophies, General Ameba." Arakis replied. "Either that, or you are attempting to mock me of my ideals, hoping that I would become unstable!"

"I would never do such a thing, my lord."-

"I know you, Ameba. And when you say something to me, you usually say in an indirect manner. The reality is that I show sympathy only to those not involved in a fight. I know they don't wish to fight, so I don't force them. However, when it comes to soldiers and warriors, or any combatants for that matter, I show them no quarter. If a few civilians die by my hand, it'll be only by a twist in fate, or by accident. However, the fates of combatants are already decided for. Thus, I wipe them out, men and supplies. A soldier's purpose is to die. They are hired to die for the sake of others, whether it be to protect, under orders, as self sacrifice, whether they are willing to give up their lives or not."-

"But what about Sora? He is a warrior as well, but still you spared him."-

"He is the one exception though. I intend to see how far he'll go for his friend, Kairi."-

"But what if something were to happen to Kairi though?"-

"Then, Sora will fight for vengeance, or he will diminish."-

"But as we speak, that brat is intervening with all our activities in the other dimensions. He's already managed to prevent our takeover of the 'Seed Realm.' But from what reports say, he and his friends prevented our attempt to retrieve the riches of Flint's Trove from the 'Treasure Realm.' With that money added to our revenue, the Empire would have been able to sustain prosperity for a thousand years. But thanks to that boy, we gained nothing. From what accounts say, both Lu Bu and Osiris were killed by the KH team. They are interfering with our activity. And if I recall, you said that if Sora and his friends were to step out of line, and begin meddling in Imperial affairs, that you would see to it that quarter would no longer be a qualification for them."-

"And I stand by my word on that."-

"Yet what actions have you taken to stop him!"-

"Not me. It's not my responsibility. It's yours."-

"What do you mean it's mine!"-

"I can't always be there to stop Sora. I have greater matters to attend to."-

"And what greater threat could possibly be greater than Sora!"-

"One name. Kakarrot." Ameba's eyes grew wide with fear.

"Son Goku?"-

"That is correct. Kakarrot has been intercepting our forces and has managed to defeat each of them with very little effort. The Z team has already managed to kill several of my best men, including two members of my own unit, the Death Lords. With every passing day, he and the Z team draw nearer to Vandor. Thus, I must concentrate on confronting the might of the Z team. And believe me, the power of the Z team dwarfs Sora's threat by far."

"We can't allow that Saiyan to draw any nearer. But at the same time, we can't allow Sora to continue interfering with our activity."-

"That's why you will take care of Sora. Since facing Kakarrot is out of the question, you'll just have to deal with the key bearer." Arakis turned to General Kai. "Where is Sora headed now?"

"Last reported, they are heading back to Traverse Town."-

"That's where you should send your two assassins, Ameba."-

"You mean you knew about my plot?" asked Ameba.

"Do you take me for a fool, Ameba?" Arakis chuckled. "I know you sent out the Asphyxia Twins to silently kill the young keybearer. But you must understand that we don't want any of them dead. Sora and his friends would be worth more to us alive." Arakis began to walk away, with Kai by his side. "If you can somehow ensnare Sora and bring him before the Imperial council alive, I will see to it that you gain rank as lord. My authority is absolute and the council cannot object to it unless they engage in a unanimous vote. And knowing some of them, they are either close acquaintances of yours, or they concur with your no-quarter ideals. Either way, I think your services to the Empire are impeccable, despite the fact that our philosophies counter one another."

"You mean you are willing to help me despite our rivalry within the Empire's political aspect."-

"You are a fellow soldier, General Ameba, so I can't complain. You definitely earn your keep around here. And after two thousand years of loyal service, I think you need a better position than that of a mere general. Bring Sora and his friends alive and I will see to it that you are given your Lordship."-

"I will, Your Excellency! Thank you very much!"-

Arakis smiled and he and Kai walked away, leaving Ameba thirsting to achieve his goal.

"Do you think it was wise to allow that promise to reach Ameba's ears, my lord?" asked Kai.

"It will be interesting for sure." said Arakis. "However, even if Ameba were to gain status as lord, it would make no difference. If he wishes to express his opinions, then so be it. However, he will need a unanimous decision from all the lords of the Imperial council in order to veto a decision laid out by one of the Three Excellencies." Arakis gazed at the resources for the Apocalypse Cannon. "General Kai. I want you to accompany the shipment of resources and overlook the progress. General Durovano will be there and I will send word to him that you are on your way."

"Yes my lord." Kai replied. Kai boarded the cruiser as Arakis continued to watch the shipment being loaded.


End file.
